require

English

Etymology

From Old French requerre (whence Modern French requérir), from Latin requīrō (“to require, seek, ask for”, literally “to seek back”), from re- (“back; again”) + quaerō (“to seek”, whence query).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɹɪˈkwaɪə/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ɹɪˈkwaɪɹ/
  • (Canada, idle-idol split) IPA(key): /ɹɪˈkwʌɪɹ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: re‧quire

Verb

require (third-person singular simple present requires, present participle requiring, simple past and past participle required)

  1. To demand, to insist upon (having); to call for authoritatively. [from 14th c.]
    • 1998, Joan Wolf, The Gamble, Warner Books:
      "I am Miss Newbury," I announced, "and I require to be shown to my room immediately, if you please."
    • 2009 December 29, Vikram Dodd, The Guardian:
      ‘Regrettably, I have concluded, after considering the matter over Christmas […], that I can no longer maintain the high standard of service I require of myself, meet the demands of office and cope with the pressures of public life, without my health deteriorating further.’
  2. Naturally to demand (something) as indispensable; to need, to call for as necessary. [from 15th c.]
    • 1972 June 5, “Aid for Aching Heads”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC:
      Chronic pain is occasionally a sign of a very serious problem, like brain tumors, and can require surgery.
    • 2009 February 7, Julian Borger, The Guardian:
      A weapon small enough to put on a missile would require uranium enriched to more than 90% U-235.
  3. To demand (of someone) to do something. [from 18th c.]
    Synonym: provide
    It is required (of me) that I give evidence in court.
    • 1970 June 29, “Compulsory Midi”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC:
      After Aug 3 all salesgirls will be required to wear only one style of skirt while on duty: the midi.
    • 2007 December 5, Allegra Stratton, “Smith to ban non-EU unskilled immigrants from working in UK”, in The Guardian:
      The government would like to require non-British fiances who wish to marry a British citizen to sit an English test.
  4. (obsolete) To ask (someone) for something; to request; to beseech. [14th–17th c.]
    • 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum XI”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book IX, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC, page 355:
      I requyre yow lete vs be sworne to gyders that neuer none of vs shalle after this day haue adoo with other, and there with alle syre Tristram and sire Lamorak sware that neuer none of hem shold fyghte ageynst other nor for wele, nor for woo.
      I request that you let us be sworn together, so that neither of us shall ever again after this day have ado with the other, and therewithal Sir Tristan and Sir Lamorak swore that neither of them would fight against the other ever again, whether for well or for woe [i.e. for good or bad reasons].
    • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark:
      I requyre the in the name of god, that thou torment me nott.
      I beseech thee, for God's sake, do not torment me.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

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Translations to be checked

Further reading

Anagrams

Galician

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /reˈkiɾe/ [reˈki.ɾɪ]
  • Rhymes: -iɾe

Verb

require

  1. inflection of requirir:
    1. third-person singular present indicative
    2. second-person singular imperative

Interlingua

Verb

require

  1. present of requirer
  2. imperative of requirer

Latin

Verb

requīre

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of requīrō
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