requisite

adjective

req·​ui·​site ˈre-kwə-zət 

: needed for a particular purpose : essential, necessary

has the requisite skills/knowledge/experience for the job

… the bill was ultimately pulled after it became clear it would not get the requisite number of votes needed to pass the House …

—Kaitlyn Schallhorn

Classic Korean dishes, such as braised short ribs and meat dumplings, would be set out alongside the requisite [Thanksgiving] turkey and mashed potatoes.

—Martha Fay

Politics, to one degree or another, are a requisite part of committee work …

—Angela D. Thompsell

requisite noun

plural requisites

For my part, I have never seen why a Ph.D. should be a requisite for college-level teaching.

—Andrew Hacker

requisiteness noun

… the moral optimality of their conduct does not eliminate the wrongness of what they have done or the requisiteness of legal sanctions in response.

—Matthew H. Kramer

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Ask Us About Requisite

Acquiring an understanding of where requisite comes from won't require a formal inquiry. Without question, the quest begins with the Latin verb quaerere, which means "to ask" or "to seek." That word is ancestor to a number of English words, including acquire, require, inquiry, question, quest, and, of course, requisite. From quaerere came requirere, meaning "to ask again." Repeated requests can express a need, and the past participle of the Latin word requirere, which is requisitus, came to mean "needed" or "necessary." English acquired requisite when it was adopted into Middle English back in the 1400s.

Synonyms of requisite

• necessary
• required
• essential
• needed
• integral
• needful

Examples of requisite in a Sentence

this new CD is the requisite album of the year for classical music lovers

Recent Examples on the Web

The American startup team wants IndyCar star Colton Herta to race in F1, but Herta needs a total of 40 points over three years to get the requisite F1 super license. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026

Close has the requisite humility and accountability to succeed. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

This abuse is hidden and yet often cast as inevitable and unpredictable — a framing that fosters tolerance, alongside the requisite handwringing over severe cases. — Michele Decker, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

The piece is then securely shipped to AP’s Customer Service facilities, where the maison’s watchmakers examine it and carry out the requisite checks. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin requisitus, past participle of requirere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for requisite

• prerequisite

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Kids Definition

requisite

adjective

req·​ui·​site ˈrek-wə-zət 

: needed for reaching a goal or achieving a purpose

requisite noun

requisiteness noun