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
Having good credit is a prerequisite to applying for a loan.
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
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
The relationship between failure and success Failure is an essential prerequisite for success, according to a 2019 study by Northwestern University researchers.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Singh says the mercury telluride device’s development represents a step toward on-chip THz sources—a prerequisite for miniaturizing today’s bulky tabletop systems into components suitable for consumer or data-center use.
—Meghie Rodrigues, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2025
Israel has been consistent throughout the war that returning the bodies of the dead was a prerequisite for ending the fighting.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2025
And for the drivers themselves, carting cargo on America’s highways has been an engine of class mobility—a flexible vocation offering decent pay without the prerequisite of a college education or the daunting prospect of an office-based 9-to-5.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prerequisite
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Sydney Lake, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Singh says the mercury telluride device’s development represents a step toward on-chip THz sources—a prerequisite for miniaturizing today’s bulky tabletop systems into components suitable for consumer or data-center use.
—Meghie Rodrigues, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2025
Israel has been consistent throughout the war that returning the bodies of the dead was a prerequisite for ending the fighting.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2025
And for the drivers themselves, carting cargo on America’s highways has been an engine of class mobility—a flexible vocation offering decent pay without the prerequisite of a college education or the daunting prospect of an office-based 9-to-5.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prerequisite
Cite this Entry
“Prerequisite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prerequisite. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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