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

Isabel’s journey through the film is less a narrative of forward momentum than a path to political consciousness, with the act of clearly remembering the prerequisite to revolution or reform. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026

Legal training and experience are of course a functional prerequisite to leading the OAG effectively. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026

Advertisement The ability to sit face to face, to listen as much as to argue, to disagree without retreating into caricature is a prerequisite for meaningful action. —Alan H.h. Fleischmann, Time, 13 Feb. 2026

In practice, this means that for many state legislative chambers each election cycle, the party that will control the majority in the next legislative session – a major prerequisite for governing and passing legislation – is literally a foregone conclusion. —Charlie Hunt, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 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