require

verb re·quire \ ri-ˈkwī(-ə)r \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

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

Administration officials have said that rising numbers of people being caught at the southern border, while in line with seasonal trends in recent years, require an immediate response.

— nomaan merchant and bob christie, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump wins pledges of 1,600 troops for Mexico border duty," 10 Apr. 2018
The design could be helpful for small players that want to experiment with augmented reality hardware, while requiring relatively little investment from Leap Motion itself.

— adi robertson, The Verge, "Leap Motion designed a $100 augmented reality headset with super-powerful hand tracking," 9 Apr. 2018
The only difference was a cast on her wrist, which required surgery after the accident.

— megan friedman, Country Living, "Carrie Underwood Is Returning to the Stage for the First Time Since Her Scary Accident," 9 Apr. 2018
The worst part was that without electricity Denise couldn't work from home as her job requires.

— sharon broussard, cleveland.com, "An exhausted Denise Anton working overtime to hold on to the American Dream: A Greater Cleveland," 9 Apr. 2018
And on Friday, Zuckerberg announced in a post that the network will require political advertisers to verify their location and identity.

— emily cadei, sacbee, "Tough love for Zuckerberg from Californians in Congress | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Apr. 2018
But Neil notes that not every skin type requires a powder.

— marissa desantis, Teen Vogue, "The Best Foundation Tips for a Flawless Application," 9 Apr. 2018
San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency also wants to regulate scooters, beginning with requiring the companies that own them to seek operating permits and agree to comply with regulations yet to be established.

— michael cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Scooter complaints prompt SF city attorney to explore legal options," 9 Apr. 2018
In elite competition, debate has mostly focused on transgender women, who typically require surgery or medication to lower their testosterone levels.

— CBS News, "Boston Marathon, other races say trans women can compete as women," 9 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1b

See Words from the same year

require Synonyms

Phrases

call for;

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.