require

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verb re·quire \ ri-ˈkwī(-ə)r \

Definition of require

required; requiring

transitive verb

1 a :to claim or ask for by right and authority

b archaic :request

2 a :to call for as suitable or appropriate

the occasion requires formal dress

b :to demand as necessary or essential :have a compelling need for

all living beings require food

3 :to impose a compulsion or command on :compel

4 chiefly British :to feel or be obliged —used with a following infinitive

one does not require to be a specialist
—Elizabeth Bowen

intransitive verb

archaic :ask

See require defined for English-language learners

See require defined for kids

Examples of require in a Sentence

the toy requires four batteries, which are not included

Recent Examples of require from the Web

Residents in 500-year flood zones aren’t required to purchase flood insurance, even though there is more than a 5 percent chance, more than one in 20, of a 500-year flood over a 30-year mortgage.

— leslie shapiro, Washington Post, "What 500-year flooding could look like around five cities," 30 Aug. 2017
But, Kinsella said, the probation violation was serious enough to require a prison sentence.

— clifford ward, Wheaton Glen Ellyn, "Ex-Wheaton College professor imprisoned for viewing film with nude children," 30 Aug. 2017
For example, some have suggested insurers be required to provide policies in the marketplaces as a condition of being able to offer coverage to federal workers.

— julie rovner, Kaiser Health News, "5 Outside-The-Box Ideas For Fixing The Individual Insurance Market," 30 Aug. 2017
But, on the other side of the ball, Wimbush has an unproven Notre Dame defense that will have an edge, if not experience, and require the offense to score frequently enough to please NBC.

— david haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Brian Kelly agrees with critics: Solution for Notre Dame starts on sideline," 29 Aug. 2017
The new 401(k)-type plan would require an employee contribution of 3 percent of salary and a guaranteed base employer contribution of 2 percent of salary.

— tom loftus, The Courier-Journal, "7 of the consultant's most controversial recommendations for the Kentucky pension crisis," 29 Aug. 2017
Conforto dislocated his left shoulder last week on a swing, and an magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a tear in the posterior capsule of the shoulder that might require surgery and a lengthy recovery.

— james wagner, New York Times, "Mets Shut Down David Wright’s Rehab and Lose Yoenis Cespedes for Season," 28 Aug. 2017
Soulful plates are worth the quirks: Lamb ragù with pickled beet stems sits atop lush tahini, while roasted potatoes require only a squeeze of charred lemon to shine.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "4 New Restaurants to Try Right Now," 28 Aug. 2017
Female flight attendants (then referred to as stewardesses) were even required to retain certain measurements on Eastern.

— david aaro, miamiherald, "Eastern Air Lines ‘golden days’ archive lands at UM," 25 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'require.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of require

Middle English requeren, from Anglo-French requere, from Vulgar Latin *requaerere to seek for, need, require, alteration of Latin requirere, from re- + quaerere to seek, ask

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

require Synonyms

Synonyms

bear, challenge, claim, demand, necessitate, need, take, want, warrant

Antonyms

have, hold

Related Words

entail, involve; ask, beg, claim, clamor (for), cry (for); hurt (for), lack; command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate

Near Antonyms

own, possess

Synonym Discussion of require

demand, claim, require, exact mean to ask or call for something as due or as necessary. demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.