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Synonyms

requisite

American  
[rek-wuh-zit] / ˈrɛk wə zɪt /

adjective

  1. required or necessary for a particular purpose, position, etc.; indispensable.

    the requisite skills of an engineer.

    Synonyms:
    needful, needed
    Antonyms:
    dispensable

noun

  1. something requisite; a necessary quality, thing, etc.

    Synonyms:
    necessity
    Antonyms:
    luxury
requisite British  
/ ˈrɛkwɪzɪt /

adjective

  1. absolutely essential; indispensable

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. something indispensable; necessity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See necessary. See requirement.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of requisite

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English from Latin requīsītus, past participle of requīrere “to seek”; see require, -ite 2

Compare meaning

How does requisite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Explanation

Requisite is a formal or fancy word for indispensable. During your punk phase, you refused to leave the house without the requisite leather jacket, black boots, and mohawk. To remember this word, notice how similar it is to required. College students looking to sign up for classes they find interesting often bump up against the word prerequisite, which refers to a list of classes they will need to take before the one they're interested in.

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Vocabulary lists containing requisite

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If Europe find that it needs to regulate private credit, it has the requisite powers, he said.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Coaxing extra fudginess out of brownies with coffee, without sacrificing the requisite crinkle top.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

At times the author goes beyond the biographer’s requisite sympathetic engagement and enters the realm of hagiography.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

We approach the proposition with the requisite measure of concern and sensitivity.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

On Sundays, their one regular day off, Washington’s enslaved people—with a requisite pass, or “remit”—could travel to the nearby town of Alexandria and its farm markets, where they could sell chickens, eggs, and garden produce.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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