demand
Americanverb (used with object)
-
demands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
demanded,
past participle, past
-
demanding
present participle
-
to ask for with proper authority; claim as a right.
He demanded payment of the debt.
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to ask for peremptorily or urgently.
He demanded sanctuary. She demanded that we let her in.
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to call for or require as just, proper, or necessary.
This task demands patience. Justice demands objectivity.
- Synonyms:
- exact
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Law.
-
to lay formal legal claim to.
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to summon, as to court.
-
verb (used without object)
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demands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
demanded,
past participle, past
-
demanding
present participle
noun
-
demands
plural
-
the act of demanding.
-
something that is demanded.
-
an urgent or pressing requirement.
demands upon one's time.
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Economics.
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the desire to purchase, coupled with the power to do so.
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the quantity of goods that buyers will take at a particular price.
-
-
a requisition; a legal claim.
The demands of the client could not be met.
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the state of being wanted or sought for purchase or use.
an article in great demand.
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Archaic. inquiry; question.
idioms
verb
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to request peremptorily or urgently
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to require or need as just, urgent, etc
the situation demands attention
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to claim as a right; exact
his parents demanded obedience of him
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law to make a formal legal claim to (property, esp realty)
noun
-
an urgent or peremptory requirement or request
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something that requires special effort or sacrifice
a demand on one's time
-
the act of demanding something or the thing demanded
the kidnappers' demand was a million pounds
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an insistent question or query
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economics
-
willingness and ability to purchase goods and services
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the amount of a commodity that consumers are willing and able to purchase at a specified price Compare supply 1
-
-
law a formal legal claim, esp to real property
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sought after; popular
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as soon as requested
a draft payable on demand
Synonym Usage
Demand, claim, require imply making an authoritative request. To demand is to ask in a bold, authoritative way: to demand an explanation. To claim is to assert a right to something: He claimed it as his due. To require is to ask for something as being necessary; to compel: The Army requires absolute obedience of its soldiers.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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counterdemandnoun
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demandernoun
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superdemandnoun
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overdemandverb
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predemandverb (used with object)
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demandableadjective
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undemandedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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demandsimple
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demandssimple
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have demandedperfect
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has demandedperfect
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am demandingprogressive
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are demandingprogressive
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is demandingprogressive
-
have been demandingperfect progressive
-
has been demandingperfect progressive
Past
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demandedsimple
-
had demandedperfect
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was demandingprogressive
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were demandingprogressive
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had been demandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of demand
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English demaunden, from Anglo-French demaunder, from Medieval Latin dēmandāre “to demand,” Latin “to entrust,” equivalent to dē- negative prefix + mandāre “to commission, order”; see de-, mandate
Explanation
Demand means "an urgent request," like your demand that teachers give no homework on the weekend, or the act of making the request — teachers who demand that the work get done, even if it's the weekend. Demand comes from the Old French word demander, meaning "ask, make inquiry." A demand is a lot stronger than that, however. When you demand something, you want action now. A demand can also mean "to require" like cold weather that demands warm coats and boots. Demand is also an economic term, meaning "the amount of an item that can be sold," like the demand for those snow boots: high in winter and nonexistent in summer.
Vocabulary lists containing demand
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Industrial Revolution - Introductory
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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.
See Examples For:
The public should reject the dramatic framing, ask the basic questions, and demand answers from AI leaders and policymakers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
When bond prices rally on high demand, yields fall.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
AI demand is off the charts, but financing all the growth will be tough.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Bloom Energy BE -8.70%decrease; down pointing triangle reported a higher third-quarter profit and lifted its outlook for the year, driven by demand for the company’s on-site power solutions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Is Gillicut going to come and demand his sprinkles, like before?
From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins
This question, like much of the film, raises all sorts of issues about the unavoidable intimacy of documentary filmmaking and the demands of story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
No details have been given about who was holding them or their demands, although some reports have previously linked the kidnapping to Islamic State militants.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
The head of the CGT union that has been prominent in the demonstrations, Sophie Binet, warned on RTL radio that Lecornu "needs to respond to the demands" of the unions and young protesters.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
The Silicon Valley job that demands three years of 24/7 hustle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
A few years prior, Mrs. Piatigorsky had been criticized in some quarters for not acceding to Fischer’s demands for the 1963 tournament, which had led to his not playing.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The All Indian Cine Workers Association demanded greater protection, asking: "Today it is Tiger Shroff. Who is next?"
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Numerous U.N. member states have demanded a woman lead the institution for the first time when António Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal, steps down at year-end after his decade as secretary-general.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Warner Bros. demanded Russell pare down the film’s most intense scenes yet still slapped it with an X rating in the U.S. and U.K., while other countries banned it outright.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has demanded an official apology over the prisoner revelation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
"What on earth is the matter with you?" she demanded.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Thousands demonstrated in Venezuela's capital and other cities Thursday, demanding the return of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Not having a car makes it harder to see people who live out of town, requires more effort and is physically demanding, Smith said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
"This week is about getting back to who we are - hungry, accountable to each other and demanding more of ourselves than anyone outside this group ever could."
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
But as he approaches 70, demanding roles take a greater toll.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
But the stairs in the house were steep, and the busy schedule of a presidential household was far more demanding than Mount Vernon.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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