Require vs. Need: What's the Difference?
By Harlon Moss & Aimie Carlson || Updated on May 24, 2024
Require implies a necessity often due to rules or conditions, whereas need denotes a more personal or fundamental necessity for survival or fulfillment.
Key Differences
Require suggests an obligation or necessity imposed by external factors such as rules, laws, or specific conditions. For example, certain jobs may require specific qualifications or certifications. Need, on the other hand, implies a more personal or inherent necessity. It reflects something essential for survival, well-being, or fulfillment. For instance, humans need food, water, and shelter to live.
Require often pertains to institutional or organizational contexts. For example, universities may require students to complete certain courses to graduate. Conversely, need is more frequently used in everyday, personal contexts. For example, a person may need rest after a long day.
Require tends to be more prescriptive, indicating that something must be done to achieve a specific result or comply with a set of rules. Need conveys a more intrinsic or immediate necessity.
Comparison Chart
Definition
To demand as necessary due to rules or conditions
To have an essential necessity for survival or fulfillment
Context
Often formal, institutional, or organizational
Personal, everyday, or essential contexts
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Nature
Prescriptive and obligatory
Intrinsic and fundamental
Flexibility
Less flexible, often non-negotiable
More flexible, personal urgency
Example Sentence
The job requires a master's degree.
He needs water to stay hydrated.
Require and Need Definitions
Require
Necessitate for a specific purpose.
The task requires precision.
Need
Strong personal desire or necessity.
I need a break from work.
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Require
Make something necessary.
The situation requires immediate action.
Need
Urgency in requirement.
She needs medical attention.
Require
Formal need for a condition to be met.
The school requires uniforms.
Need
Lack of something essential.
There is a need for clean water.
Require
Impose as an obligation.
The contract requires both parties to sign.
Need
A condition or situation in which something must be supplied in order for a certain condition to be maintained or a desired state to be achieved
Crops in need of water.
A child's need for affection.
Require
To have as a requisite or necessity; need or depend on
Do you require assistance? Most plants require plenty of water.
Need
Something required or wanted; a requisite
"Those of us who led the charge for these women's issues ... shared a common vision in the needs of women" (Olympia Snowe).
Require
To stipulate as obligatory by authority
The law requires full disclosure of charitable donations.
Need
Necessity; obligation
There is no need for you to go.
Require
To demand as obligatory or appropriate
Skiing requires practice.
Need
A condition of poverty or misfortune
The family is in dire need.
Require
To impose an obligation on; compel
The school requires all students to study mathematics.
Need
To be under the necessity of or the obligation to
They need not come. You needn't be concerned.
Require
(obsolete) To ask (someone) for something; to request.
Need
To have need of; require
The family needs money. We need to get some more paint.
Require
To demand, to insist upon (having); to call for authoritatively.
Need
To have an obligation (to do something)
You need to clean up your room.
Require
Naturally to demand (something) as indispensable; to need, to call for as necessary.
Need
To be subject (to an action) by obligation
Bags need to be stowed underneath the seat in front of you.
Require
To demand of (someone) to do something.
Need
To want to be subject to
We don't need another lecture on the subject.
Require
To demand; to insist upon having; to claim as by right and authority; to exact; as, to require the surrender of property.
Shall I say to CæsarWhat you require of him?
By nature did what was by law required.
Need
To be in need or want.
Require
To demand or exact as indispensable; to need.
Just gave what life required, and gave no more.
The two last [biographies] require to be particularly noticed.
Need
To be necessary.
Require
To ask as a favor; to request.
I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way.
Need
A requirement for something; something needed.
There's no need to speculate; we can easily find out for sure.
She grew irritated with his constant need for attention.
Our needs are not being met.
I've always tried to have few needs beyond food, clothing and shelter.
Require
Require as useful, just, or proper;
It takes nerve to do what she did
Success usually requires hard work
This job asks a lot of patience and skill
This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice
This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert
This intervention does not postulates a patient's consent
Need
Lack of means of subsistence; poverty; indigence; destitution.
Require
Consider obligatory; request and expect;
We require our secretary to be on time
Aren't we asking too much of these children?
I expect my students to arrive in time for their lessons
Need
(transitive) To have an absolute requirement for.
Living things need water to survive.
Require
Make someone do something
Need
(transitive) To want strongly; to feel that one must have something.
After ten days of hiking, I needed a shower and a shave.
Require
Have need of;
This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner
Need
(modal verb) To be obliged or required (to do something).
You need not go if you don't want to.
Require
Demand as necessary due to rules.
The law requires citizens to pay taxes.
Need
(intransitive) To be required; to be necessary.
Need
To be necessary (to someone).
Need
A state that requires supply or relief; pressing occasion for something; necessity; urgent want.
And the city had no need of the sun.
I have no need to beg.
Be governed by your needs, not by your fancy.
Need
Want of the means of subsistence; poverty; indigence; destitution.
Famine is in thy cheeks;Need and oppression starveth in thine eyes.
Need
That which is needful; anything necessary to be done; (pl.) necessary things; business.
Need
Situation of need; peril; danger.
Need
To be in want of; to have cause or occasion for; to lack; to require, as supply or relief.
Other creatures all day longRove idle, unemployed, and less need rest.
Need
To be wanted; to be necessary.
When we have done it, we have done all that is in our power, and all that needs.
Need
Of necessity. See Needs.
Need
A condition requiring relief;
She satisfied his need for affection
God has no need of men to accomplish His work
There is a demand for jobs
Need
Anything that is necessary but lacking;
He had sufficient means to meet his simple needs
I tried to supply his wants
Need
The psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior;
We did not understand his motivation
He acted with the best of motives
Need
A state of extreme poverty or destitution;
Their indigence appalled him
A general state of need exists among the homeless
Need
Require as useful, just, or proper;
It takes nerve to do what she did
Success usually requires hard work
This job asks a lot of patience and skill
This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice
This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert
This intervention does not postulates a patient's consent
Need
Have need of;
This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner
Need
Have or feel a need for;
Always needing friends and money
Need
Essential for survival or well-being.
Plants need sunlight to grow.
Need
Personal necessity or requirement.
They need to communicate better.
FAQs
What does "require" mean?
Require means to demand as necessary due to rules or conditions.
What does "need" imply?
Need implies an essential necessity for survival or personal fulfillment.
How is "need" used in everyday language?
e.g., She needs help with her homework.
Can "need" be used in formal writing?
Yes, but it is more commonly used in personal or everyday contexts.
How is "require" used in a sentence?
e.g., The course requires students to complete a final project.
Can "require" indicate urgency?
It can, but it more often indicates obligation.
Can "need" indicate urgency?
Yes, it often conveys immediate necessity.
What contexts typically use "need"?
Personal, everyday, or essential life contexts.
Is "require" more formal than "need"?
Yes, require is often used in formal or institutional contexts.
Does "require" suggest flexibility?
No, it often indicates a non-negotiable condition.
How does "require" relate to rules?
It often indicates something demanded by rules or conditions.
Can "require" be personal?
It is less commonly used in personal contexts.
What contexts typically use "require"?
Institutional, organizational, or legal contexts.
Is "need" always urgent?
Not always, but it often implies an important necessity.
Can "require" and "need" be synonyms?
They can be, but "require" is more formal and specific, while "need" is more general and personal.
Does "need" suggest flexibility?
Yes, it can be more personal and urgent.
Is "require" used for specific purposes?
Yes, it denotes necessity for achieving specific results.
Is "need" always about survival?
No, it can also refer to personal fulfillment or desire.
How does "need" relate to desires?
It can reflect a personal or fundamental desire or necessity.
Is "require" more about compliance?
Yes, it often involves meeting external demands or standards.
About Author
Written by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
Co-written by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
