Required — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ri-ˈkwī(-ə)rd/ re·quired

Meaning & Definition of Required

Required (adjective)

  1. stipulated as necessary to be done, made, or provided

Required (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. forcing one's compliance or participation by or as if by law

    "formal instruction in driving is required in this state before you can get your driver's license"

    similar: compulsory, forced, imperative, incumbent, involuntary, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, peremptory
    related: all-important, essential, indispensable, needed, requisite, insistent, persistent, pressing, urgent, demanded, enforced, coercive
    opposite: elective, optional, voluntary
    near: chosen, discretionary, dispensable, unnecessary, unneeded, unwanted, inconsequential, insignificant, nonessential, unimportant

  2. impossible to do without

    "with these frigid winds, hats, scarves, and good mittens are required equipment for heading outside"

    similar: all-important, critical, essential, imperative, indispensable, integral, must-have, necessary, necessitous, needed, needful, requisite, vital, of the essence
    related: prerequisite, compulsory, mandatory, nonelective, obligatory, consequential, crucial, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, weighty, basic, central, fundamental, key, organic, insistent, persistent, pressing, urgent
    opposite: dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary, unneeded
    near: undesired, unwanted, inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, excess, external, extra, extraneous, superfluous, surplus

Required (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to have as a requirement

    "the toy requires four batteries, which are not included"

    similar: bore, challenged, claimed, demanded, necessitated, needed, took, wanted, warranted, called for
    related: entailed, involved, asked, begged, clamored (for), cried (for), hurt (for), lacked, commanded, enjoined, exacted, insisted, pressed, quested, stipulated
    opposite: had, held
    near: owned, possessed

Related Entry: Require (verb)

Require is a different word from Required. The synonyms below are for require, not for required.

  1. to have as a requirement

    "the toy requires four batteries, which are not included"

    similar: bear, challenge, claim, demand, necessitate, need, take, want, warrant, call for
    related: entail, involve, ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), hurt (for), lack, command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate
    opposite: have, hold
    near: own, possess

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Required

The most common words with a similar meaning to Required:

compulsory, forced, imperative, incumbent, involuntary, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory, peremptory, all-important, critical, essential, indispensable, integral, must-have, necessitous, needed, needful, requisite, vital, of the essence, bore, challenged, claimed, demanded, necessitated, took, wanted, warranted, called for

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Required

Words with the opposite meaning of Required:

elective, optional, voluntary, dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential, unessential, unnecessary, unneeded, had, held

Related Words for Required

insistent, persistent, pressing, urgent, enforced, coercive, prerequisite, consequential, crucial, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, weighty, basic, central, fundamental, key, organic, entailed, involved, asked, begged, clamored (for), cried (for), hurt (for), lacked

Near Antonyms of Required

chosen, discretionary, unwanted, inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, undesired, excess, external, extra, extraneous, superfluous, surplus, owned, possessed

Origin & Etymology of Required

First known use: 1540

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Required

Words & Phrases Containing Required

required reading

Frequently Asked Questions about Required

What does "Required" mean?

"Required" means stipulated as necessary to be done, made, or provided. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: stipulated as necessary to be done, made, or provided. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Required"?

Other words for "Required" include compulsory, forced, imperative, incumbent, involuntary, mandatory, necessary and nonelective. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Required" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Required"?

There are 68 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Required". Common alternatives include compulsory, forced, imperative, incumbent, involuntary, mandatory, necessary, nonelective, obligatory and peremptory.

What is the opposite of "Required"?

Antonyms of "Required" include elective, optional, voluntary, dispensable, inessential, needless, nonessential and unessential. Near antonyms include chosen, discretionary, unwanted and inconsequential.

How do you use "Required" in a sentence?

Examples of "Required" in a sentence: "formal instruction in driving is required in this state before you can get your driver's license"; "with these frigid winds, hats, scarves, and good mittens are required equipment for heading outside"; "the toy requires four batteries, which are not included".

Is "Required" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Required" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Required" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Required"?

"Required" is pronounced /ri-ˈkwī(-ə)rd/ and divided into syllables as re·quired.