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
To Bickerstaff, playoff heartbreak is less a setback than a prerequisite—the uncomfortable but necessary proof that a young core has reached the stage where details, discipline and execution matter more than talent, and the kind of failure that teaches lessons a regular-season win streak never can.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026
Our experience bears out research showing that longer sequences of prerequisite courses often serve to weed students out of STEM pathways.
—Tammi Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Restoring security and political stability is the prerequisite for everything else to work.
—Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
And as many major employers integrate AI into every corner of their organizations, tech mastery has become a candidate prerequisite—not a plus.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prerequisite
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Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026
Our experience bears out research showing that longer sequences of prerequisite courses often serve to weed students out of STEM pathways.
—Tammi Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026
Restoring security and political stability is the prerequisite for everything else to work.
—Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
And as many major employers integrate AI into every corner of their organizations, tech mastery has become a candidate prerequisite—not a plus.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prerequisite
Cite this Entry
“Prerequisite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prerequisite. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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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