Synonyms of require

require

verb

ri-ˈkwī(-ə)r 

as in to need

to have as a requirement

the toy requires four batteries, which are not included

Synonyms & Similar Words

• need
• want
• take
• involve
• necessitate
• demand
• warrant
• call for
• claim
• challenge
• entail
• ask
• bear
• beg
• lack
• insist
• cry (for)
• hurt (for)
• stipulate
• enjoin
• exact
• quest
• clamor (for)
• command
• press

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• have
• hold
• possess
• own

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb require contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of require are claim, demand, and exact. While all these words mean "to ask or call for something as due or as necessary," require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention

When is it sensible to use claim instead of require?

The synonyms claim and require are sometimes interchangeable, but claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs

When is demand a more appropriate choice than require?

While the synonyms demand and require are close in meaning, demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt

Where would exact be a reasonable alternative to require?

In some situations, the words exact and require are roughly equivalent. However, exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of require

Even things that used to require a brief in-person conversation with a human being—signing in at the doctor’s office or ordering a coffee—require tapping, swiping, and scanning. —Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026

Ending that three-year skid to make the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003 would require snapping LAFC’s three-tournament run of getting that far themselves. —Josh Gross, Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026

Thanks to George Mason, Article V was amended to require a convention be called when two-thirds of states applied for an amendment. —Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026

That means the park isn’t some 45-minute detour requiring a separate transit plan. —Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 9 Mar. 2026