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

Did you know?

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

• 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

Those with the requisite appetite for chaos stick around, thrive, and in the process become even more comfortable with uncertainty. —Dave Winsborough, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Travelers can expect to sail past incredible vistas of fjords and towering glaciers, or get their hearts pumping with a requisite polar plunge, diving into the icy waters for the ultimate rush. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025

Visitors wait in line to take the requisite selfie with General Sherman, but other magnificent sights abound at Sequoia National Park. —Paul Bersebach, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025

Unfortunately, the bulk of the requisite moralizing falls mainly to Palmer’s socially conscious Elena, saddled with one too many speeches about making a difference, which puts a damper on the actress’ customary energetic spark. —Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025

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