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
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 dream is expansive but deeply human: a space where identity isn’t dictated by category, and adventure doesn’t require a prerequisite.
—Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Hartford Murray explains that the far west Sonoma vineyards chosen for their first sparkling releases offer mineral-laden, low vigor soils with extreme marine influence, a prerequisite for maintaining acidity.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2025
Officials completed environmental reviews on the 463 miles from L.A. to San Jose, electrified its Bay Area corridor (a prerequisite for high-speed rail service there), and began the process of laying track, with the railhead groundbreaking at Bakersfield.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2025
But that hasn't stopped him from building businesses in spaces where formal education is often seen as a prerequisite to success.
—Talia Wexler, CNBC, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prerequisite
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Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Hartford Murray explains that the far west Sonoma vineyards chosen for their first sparkling releases offer mineral-laden, low vigor soils with extreme marine influence, a prerequisite for maintaining acidity.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2025
Officials completed environmental reviews on the 463 miles from L.A. to San Jose, electrified its Bay Area corridor (a prerequisite for high-speed rail service there), and began the process of laying track, with the railhead groundbreaking at Bakersfield.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2025
But that hasn't stopped him from building businesses in spaces where formal education is often seen as a prerequisite to success.
—Talia Wexler, CNBC, 31 July 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 19 Aug. 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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