Difference Wiki

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 Moss
Harlon 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 Carlson
Aimie 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.

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