prerequisite

noun

pre·​req·​ui·​site (ˌ)prē-ˈre-kwə-zət 

: something that is necessary to an end or to the carrying out of a function

prerequisite adjective

Did you know?

Prerequisite is partly based on requirere, the Latin verb meaning "to need or require". So a prerequisite can be anything that must be accomplished or acquired before something else can be done. Possessing a valid credit card is a prerequisite for renting a car. A physical exam may be a prerequisite for receiving a life-insurance policy. And successful completion of an introductory course is often a prerequisite for enrolling in a higher-level course.

Examples of prerequisite in a Sentence

Future greatness does not always inspire popularity. Coolness, in the high-school or hip sense of the word, is not a prerequisite for leadership. —Evan Thomas, Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2004

… opposition to the totalitarian threat was the prerequisite for membership in American liberalism because communism was the defining moral challenge of the age. —Peter Beinart, New Republic, 13 Dec. 2004

But old-school Andy lacks a skill that may soon be a prerequisite for 21st-century detective work: knowing how to glean secrets from a suspect's hard drive. —Daniel McGinn, Newsweek, 23 Sept. 2002

Recent Examples on the Web

Firefighters are still trying to contain the Palisades and Eaton fires, the biggest ones in the Los Angeles region, a prerequisite to allowing people to return. —Kate Selig, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025

While negotiations appeared to gain some ground prior to the outbreak of the war in Gaza, Saudi Arabia has demanded from Israel a tangible commitment to supporting Palestinian statehood as a prerequisite for forging formal diplomatic ties. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025

As a transfer applicant, you may be required to meet a certain minimum GPA threshold, complete coursework prerequisites, finish a certain number of semesters at your current institution, or submit standardized test scores or letters of recommendation from current instructors. —Christopher Rim, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

New research suggests just a single mutation could be enough to potentially increase the virus’s ability to spread from person to person, which would be a prerequisite to becoming a pandemic. —Dylan Matthews, Vox, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1631, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

prerequisite

noun

pre·​req·​ui·​site (ˈ)prē-ˈrek-wə-zət 

: something required beforehand or necessary as preparation for something else

the course is a prerequisite for advanced study

prerequisite adjective