require

verb

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re·quire | \ ri-ˈkwī(-ə)r

required; requiring

Definition of require

transitive verb

1a : to claim or ask for by right and authority

b archaic : request

2a : 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

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More About require

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Synonyms & Antonyms for require

Synonyms

Antonyms

have,
hold

Choose the Right Synonym for 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. demanded payment of the debt 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 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 exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands. exacts absolute loyalty

Examples of require in a Sentence

the toy requires four batteries, which are not included

Recent Examples on the Web On Tuesday, San Francisco International Airport became the first U.S. airport to require all workers to be vaccinated. — Karen Kaplan Science And Medicine Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021 In eight of the nine counties, masks are required in nearly all indoor public settings — restaurants and bars being the main exceptions, though San Francisco, Berkeley and Contra Costa County require people to be vaccinated to enter those venues. — Nanette Asimov, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Sep. 2021 Earlier this month, President Joe Biden ordered all employers with more than 100 workers to require them to be vaccinated or tested for the virus weekly, which affects about 80 million Americans. — oregonlive, 17 Sep. 2021 Biden’s plan, which was unveiled in a speech last week, mandates that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, which would affect about 80 million Americans. — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 17 Sep. 2021 The Biden administration will also require federal employees in the executive branch and government contractors to be vaccinated against Covid-19. — Dylan Tokar, WSJ, 17 Sep. 2021 The United States will require new immigrants to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as part of its routine medical examination, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on Tuesday. — Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2021 Several airlines were already putting the pieces in place to require employees to be vaccinated to remain employed. — Geoff Whitmore, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2021 And the AT&T Performing Arts Center will require its employees and volunteers to be vaccinated by Oct. 1. — Dan Singer, Dallas News, 16 Sep. 2021

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.