require

verb

re·​quire ri-ˈkwī(-ə)r 

required; requiring

transitive verb

1

a

: to claim or ask for by right and authority

b

archaic : request

2

a

: to call for as suitable or appropriate

the occasion requires formal dress

b

: to demand as necessary or essential : have a compelling need for

all living beings require food

3

: to impose a compulsion or command on : compel

4

chiefly British : to feel or be obliged

—used with a following infinitive

one does not require to be a specialist

—Elizabeth Bowen

intransitive verb

archaic : ask

Synonyms

• bear
• challenge
• claim
• demand
• necessitate
• need
• take
• want
• warrant

Choose the Right Synonym for require

demand, claim, require, exact mean to ask or call for something as due or as necessary.

demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt

claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs

require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention

exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty

Examples of require in a Sentence

the toy requires four batteries, which are not included

Recent Examples on the Web

In a statement emailed to the Courant, DSS Deputy Communications Director Christine Stuart said Connecticut is in possession of the federal money required for the program. —Alison Cross, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2024

Contraception Indiana lawmakers recently passed new legislation that would require hospitals to offer postpartum patients with long acting reversible contraceptives. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 24 June 2024

Regulators started a process to expand the definition of a firearms dealer to clarify that sellers at gun shows and flea markets and who sell through the mail are required to obtain specific approvals and run background checks before selling guns. —Robert Legare, CBS News, 24 June 2024

Many of the big questions of our time require them to work closer than ever. 13.8 Return of the old gods: why there is nothing delicate about Earth’s balance Earth is not a benign mother. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English requeren, from Anglo-French requere, from Vulgar Latin *requaerere to seek for, need, require, alteration of Latin requirere, from re- + quaerere to seek, ask

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

require

verb

re·​quire ri-ˈkwī(ə)r 

required; requiring

1

: to have a need for

a game that requires skill

2

: order entry 1 sense 2a

the law requires that everyone pay the tax