demand
Americanverb (used with object)
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demands,
present (3rd person singular)
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demanded,
past participle, past
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demanding
present participle
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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.
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to lay formal legal claim to.
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to summon, as to court.
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verb (used without object)
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demands,
present (3rd person singular)
-
demanded,
past participle, past
-
demanding
present participle
noun
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demands
plural
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the act of demanding.
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something that is demanded.
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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.
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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
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an urgent or peremptory requirement or request
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something that requires special effort or sacrifice
a demand on one's time
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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
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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
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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
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have been demandingperfect progressive
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has been demandingperfect progressive
Past
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demandedsimple
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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:
For one, Nowak’s calculations run on the assumption that demand for computing capacity will continue to grow.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Rising wages coupled with consumer demand for speedy home delivery are pushing logistics operators to automate more warehouse operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
But now it has proved so popular that cinemas have added screenings of the film in response to the soaring demand.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Over two days, three judges at the Court of Appeal in Melbourne will hear two appeals: Patterson's attempt to overturn her conviction and the prosecution's demand for a stiffer sentence.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
I demand, fear growing in the pit of my stomach.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
"The Department is utilizing every available tool to meet the demands of our current operations."
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
That level of efficiency could make the approach especially attractive for future electronics designed to handle large amounts of information with lower energy demands.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
They contend the costs and energy demands of producing and distributing it make it inferior to batteries in almost every case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Those demands, Diana said, included a consideration of $27.50 a share in cash, an additional $2.00 per share to reflect Genco’s expected third- and fourth-quarter dividends, and three shares of Diana.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Your king has sent me presents?” he demands.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
The environmentalists demanded the park service establish a new management plan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
"But they also raise a broader question: whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force," he added.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Roosevelt, a football enthusiast who feared the game might be abolished, summoned leaders from the college football powerhouses of the day—Harvard, Yale and Princeton—to the White House and demanded reform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Blumenthal said the reported issues on the ship raise the broader question of "whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force."
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Penelope’s mind clickety-clacked like an abacus, trying to sort out this new information, but Lord Fredrick’s question demanded an answer.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Separately, a petition demanding an immediate public inquiry into the media coverage of Ardsay had gathered over 83,000 signatures Monday including MP Diane Abbott and Green Party leader Zack Polanski.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
One example is the mitochondrion, which helps provide the energy needed to support more demanding forms of life.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Some wrote to the vice chancellor demanding an independent inquiry because they felt the reputation of the university was at stake.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Lawmakers and families are demanding answers on conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln after reports of food shortages and broken toilets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Bobby Kennedy charged into Bundy’s office demanding to see the photos.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
