prerequisite

pre·req·ui·site

noun \(ˌ)prē-ˈre-kwə-zət\

Definition of PREREQUISITE

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

— prerequisite adjective

Examples of PREREQUISITE

1. 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
2. … 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
3. 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

First Known Use of PREREQUISITE

1633