require

require — verb

1. to have a particular need for something because the situation or purpose calls f

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to have a particular need for something because the situation or purpose calls for it.

Example

Baking a chocolate cake requires three fresh eggs and two cups of flour.

require + noun phrase

Charlotte's new role in sales requires her to travel overseas four times a year.

require + object + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • require attention
  • require effort
  • require patience
  • require care
  • require skill
Synonyms
  • need

    less formal, more common in everyday speech

  • call for

    informal, often used in British English, e.g. 'The recipe calls for butter'

  • necessitate

    formal, used in writing to stress that something is unavoidable

  • demand

    stronger, implies a high level of urgency or importance

Antonyms
  • forgo

    to choose to live without something needed

Grammar Patterns

require + noun phrase

require + doing something

require + somebody + to do something

be required for

Usage Note

More formal than 'need'; preferred in writing and official contexts. In everyday speech, 'need' is far more common. The pattern 'require + somebody + to-infinitive' (e.g. 'the job requires him to travel') overlaps with sense 2 but here the necessity comes from the situation, not from a person or authority giving an order.

Common Mistakes

I require to go to the restroom.
I need to go to the restroom.
'require' is not used for routine personal needs in spoken English; use 'need' instead.

2. to officially tell someone that they must do something, because a law, rule, or

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to officially tell someone that they must do something, because a law, rule, or the person in charge says it is necessary.

Example

The factory requires all workers to wear safety goggles at all times.

require + object + to-infinitive

Adisa was required by law to register for military service at eighteen.

passive: be required + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • required by law
  • required to wear
  • required to attend
  • required reading
  • required course
Synonyms
  • compel

    stronger, suggests force or irresistible pressure

  • oblige

    formal, often used in passive: 'feel obliged to'

  • mandate

    formal, used for official requirements from laws or governments

  • demand

    more forceful, can be used without legal backing

Antonyms
  • allow

    to let someone choose freely instead of forcing them

  • permit

    to give formal permission, opposite of requiring

  • exempt

    to officially release someone from a requirement

Grammar Patterns

require + somebody + to do something

require + that-clause

be required + to do something

be required by

Usage Note

Frequently appears in passive constructions ('be required to do something'). The that-clause pattern usually takes the subjunctive in formal English: 'requires that he be present', not 'requires that he is present'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the obligation comes from a conscious authority figure, rule, or law, not from circumstances.

Common Mistakes

The teacher required that we finished the homework by Friday.
The teacher required us to finish the homework by Friday.
In everyday use, 'require + object + to-infinitive' is more natural than a that-clause after a named authority figure.

Word family

  • required
    adjectiveB2
  • requirement
    nounB1
  • requisite
    adjectiveC1
  • requisite
    nounC1
  • requisition
    nounC1
  • unrequired
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe something being necessary, but they differ in formality and tone. 'Need' is the most common and natural in everyday speech: 'I need a glass of water.' 'Require' is more formal and is the standard choice in writing, official notices, and technical descriptions: 'The application requires three references.' 'Call for' is an informal phrasal verb common in British English, used especially for recipes, plans, or informal rules: 'The recipe calls for brown sugar.' 'Necessitate' is highly formal and suggests that one thing unavoidably creates the need for another: 'The new law necessitates a complete review of our procedures.' 'Demand' is the strongest of the five, carrying a sense of urgency or high standards: 'A job like this demands total commitment.'

require ↗need ↗call for ↗necessitatedemand ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • legally required
  • strictly required
  • normally required
  • urgently required
  • expressly required

Phrases

  • as required
  • if required
  • when required
  • required reading
  • required course

Prepositions

  • require of
  • require for
  • require from

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Borrowed into English in the 1300s from Old French 'requerre', which came from Latin 'requirere' — a combination of 're-' (again, back) and 'quaerere' (to ask, seek). The Latin word originally meant 'to search for' or 'to ask for'. Over time the meaning shifted from actively seeking something to stating that something is needed or demanded. The sense of 'ordering someone to do something' developed in legal and official contexts during the 1500s.