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

Having inner peace about this decision is a prerequisite for maintaining personal resolve. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 9 May 2024

Much more technical detail would get into Field AI’s IP, says Agha, but the point is that real-time world modeling becomes a by-product of Field AI’s robots operating in the world rather than a prerequisite for that operation. —IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2024

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