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

Recent Examples on the Web

This presents a bit of a problem for Murphy, for whom the prepackaged spectacle of political incident has become almost a prerequisite for entertaining television. — Leo Lasdun, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026

What hasn't changed is that trust is still a prerequisite to success. — Shannon Reedy, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

In the United States, steady, well-paying blue-collar jobs have been all but decimated, and fewer men than women are earning the college degrees that have become almost a prerequisite for financial stability. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026

To qualify, the law sets as a prerequisite that companies must be eligible for incentives under federal CHIPS and Science Act, a massive funding package designed to spur domestic chip production. — Mark Dee august 2, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1631, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prerequisite

• requisite

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