EN

Synonyms for require

24 synonyms
8 antonyms
1 meaning

verb

Most common

need want necessitate ask

All synonyms

Verb

1. Necessitate

need, want, necessitate, ask, take, call for, involve, make, demand, expect, order, claim, exact, lack, postulate, dictate, direct, prescribe, charge, charre UK, enforce, appoint

Other

provide, command

Antonyms

waive, exempt, forgo

All antonyms of require →

Definitions

v. 1
To demand, to insist upon (having); to call for authoritatively.

Related words

Word family: requirement requisite request

Forms

Past participle: required
e.g. required → needed, wanted, necessitated, asked…

Choose the right word

Require, Demand or Requires?

Require is less arrogant and obtrusive than demand, but is exceedingly strenuous; as, the court requires the attendance of witnesses.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

ask You should know better than to ask a lady her age.
demand Demand the exclusion of the country from the U. N.
involve Dear woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied.
necessitate I'm not sure that this will necessitate that.
provide We must provide the victims with food and clothes.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
require		steady
ask		rising
demand		falling
involve		steady
necessitate		falling
provide		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: ask¹
4 letters: have¹, make¹, need¹, want¹, take¹, lack¹
5 letters: order², claim¹, exact²
6 letters: expect², charge¹, direct², demand², charre
7 letters: provide², command², involve², enforce², appoint², dictate²
9 letters: prescribe², postulate³
11 letters: necessitate⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (order² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: requérir
Italiano: richiedere
Español: requerir
Deutsch: benötigen
Català: requerir