Advertisement

require (v.)

late 14c., "to ask a question, inquire," from Old French requerre "seek, procure; beg, ask, petition; demand," from Vulgar Latin *requaerere, from Latin requirere "seek to know, ask," from re-, here perhaps meaning "repeatedly" (see re-), + quaerere "ask, seek" (see query (v.)).

The original sense of this word has been taken over by request (v.). Sense of "demand (someone) to do (something)" is from 1751, via the notion of "to ask for imperatively, or as a right" (late 14c.). Related: Required; requiring.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of require from WordNet

require (v.)
require as useful, just, or proper;
success usually requires hard work
Synonyms: necessitate / ask / postulate / need / take / involve / call for / demand
require (v.)
consider obligatory; request and expect;
We require our secretary to be on time
Synonyms: ask / expect
require (v.)
make someone do something;
Synonyms: command
require (v.)
have need of;
Synonyms: want / need
From wordnet.princeton.edu