as in must
formal
something that is needed or wanted
a list of political desiderata
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Recent Examples of desideratum
Diversity isn’t necessarily an ethical desideratum in a collection.
—
New York Times, 28 Sep. 2021
The Trump administration has sought nothing less than a reformulation of U.S. policy on the two-state solution, bringing it in line with Netanyahu’s desiderata
Among Netanyahu’s enablers, however, one partner stands out.
—Aaron David Miller, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2020
Remaining at home is invariably the desideratum for most among the elderly, and this includes the wish to die at home.
—Joseph Epstein, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2020
We marketing teams came to believe we alone could save startups from untimely deaths by achieving the desideratum to end all desiderata: product/market fit.
—Wired, 22 Oct. 2019
Airports supply the greatest desideratum of physical retail: foot traffic.
—Daniel Gross, Slate Magazine, 7 Sep. 2017
Some of the author costs are used to pay reviewers, causing one to question whether the process is always unbiased, as is the desideratum.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2015
New York Times, 28 Sep. 2021
The Trump administration has sought nothing less than a reformulation of U.S. policy on the two-state solution, bringing it in line with Netanyahu’s desiderata
Among Netanyahu’s enablers, however, one partner stands out.
—Aaron David Miller, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2020
Remaining at home is invariably the desideratum for most among the elderly, and this includes the wish to die at home.
—Joseph Epstein, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2020
We marketing teams came to believe we alone could save startups from untimely deaths by achieving the desideratum to end all desiderata: product/market fit.
—Wired, 22 Oct. 2019
Airports supply the greatest desideratum of physical retail: foot traffic.
—Daniel Gross, Slate Magazine, 7 Sep. 2017
Some of the author costs are used to pay reviewers, causing one to question whether the process is always unbiased, as is the desideratum.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desideratum
Noun
-
In areas with stiff regulatory requirements, human oversight is a must.—
Paul Goydan,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
-
An absolute must for referees at corners is to have a line of sight to the goalkeeper.—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Those could be explicit requirements for a map to appear to be fair by certain statistical measures of partisanship.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), there is no residency requirement to file a lawsuit challenging a project’s environmental review.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
For myself, commissioning a mini-me doll was a bit of a childhood wish come true.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Evgeni Malkin might get his wish to stay in Pittsburgh after all.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The order stranded them indefinitely, sometimes in life-threatening conditions.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
There are women who cannot carry pregnancies for a variety of reasons — genetic conditions, cancer and loss of uterus, for example.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desideratum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desideratum. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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