to ask for with proper authority; claim as a right: He demanded payment of the debt.
2.
to ask for peremptorily or urgently: He demanded sanctuary. She demanded that we let her in.
3.
to call for or require as just, proper, or necessary: This task demands patience. Justice demands objectivity.
4.
Law.
a.
to lay formal legal claim to.
b.
to summon, as to court.
–verb (used without object)
5.
to make a demand; inquire; ask.
–noun
6.
the act of demanding.
7.
something that is demanded.
8.
an urgent or pressing requirement: demands upon one's time.
9.
Economics.
a.
the desire to purchase, coupled with the power to do so.
b.
the quantity of goods that buyers will take at a particular price.
10.
a requisition; a legal claim: The demands of the client could not be met.
11.
the state of being wanted or sought for purchase or use: an article in great demand.
12.
Archaic. inquiry; question.
—Idiom
13.
on demand, upon presentation or request for payment: The fee is payable on demand.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME demaunden < AF demaunder < ML démandāre to demand, L to entrust, equiv. to dé-de-+ mandāre to commission, order; see mandate]
—Related forms
de·mand·a·ble, adjective
de·mand·er, noun
—Synonyms 3. exact. Demand,claim,require imply making an authoritative request. To demand is to ask in a bold, authoritative way: to demand an explanation. To claim is to assert a right to something: He claimed it as his due. To require is to ask for something as being necessary; to compel: The Army requires absolute obedience of its soldiers.
To ask for urgently or peremptorily: demand an investigation into the murder; demanding that he leave immediately; demanded to speak to the manager.
To claim as just or due: demand repayment of a loan.
To ask to be informed of: I demand a reason for this interruption.
To require as useful, just, proper, or necessary; call for: a gem that demands a fine setting.
Law
To summon to court.
To claim formally; lay legal claim to.
v.
intr.
To make a demand.
n.
The act of demanding.
Something demanded: granted the employees' demands.
An urgent requirement or need: the heavy demands of her job; the emotional demands of his marriage; an increased oxygen demand.
The state of being sought after: in great demand as a speaker.
Economics
The desire to possess a commodity or make use of a service, combined with the ability to purchase it.
The amount of a commodity or service that people are ready to buy for a given price: Supply should rise to meet demand.
Computer Science A coding technique in which a command to read or write is initiated as the need for a new block of data occurs, thus eliminating the need to store data.
Law A formal claim.
Archaic An emphatic question or inquiry.
[Middle English demanden, from Old French demander, to charge with doing, and from Medieval Latin dēmandāre, to demand, both from Latin, to entrust : dē-, de- + mandāre, to entrust; see man-2 in Indo-European roots.]
de·mand'a·ble adj., de·mand'er n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to ask for urgently or insistently: demanding better working conditions; claiming repayment of a debt; exacted obedience from the child; tax payments required by law.
c.1290, from O.Fr. demander "to request," from L. demandare "entrust, charge with a commission," from de- "completely" + mandare "to order." The political economy sense (correlating to supply) is first attested 1776 in Adam Smith.
an urgent or peremptory request; "his demands for attention were unceasing"
2.
the ability and desire to purchase goods and services; "the automobile reduced the demand for buggywhips"; "the demand exceeded the supply" [ant: supply]
3.
required activity; "the requirements of his work affected his health"; "there were many demands on his time" [syn: requirement]
4.
the act of demanding; "the kidnapper's exorbitant demands for money"
5.
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" [syn: need]
verb
1.
request urgently and forcefully; "The victim's family is demanding compensation"; "The boss demanded that he be fired immediately"; "She demanded to see the manager"
2.
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 postulate a patient's consent" [syn: necessitate] [ant: eliminate]
3.
claim as due or just; "The bank demanded payment of the loan"
De*mand"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Demanded; p. pr. & vb. n. Demanding.] [F. demander, LL. demandare to demand, summon, send word, fr. L. demandare to give in charge, intrust; de- + mandare to commit to one's charge, commission, order, command. Cf. Mandate, Commend.]1. To ask or call for with authority; to claim or seek from, as by authority or right; to claim, as something due; to call for urgently or peremptorily; as, to demand a debt; to demand obedience. This, in our foresaid holy father's name, Pope Innocent, I do demand of thee. --Shak. 2. To inquire authoritatively or earnestly; to ask, esp. in a peremptory manner; to question. I did demand what news from Shrewsbury. --Shak. 3. To require as necessary or useful; to be in urgent need of; hence, to call for; as, the case demands care. 4. (Law) To call into court; to summon. --Burrill.
De*mand"\, n. [F. demande, fr. demander. See Demand, v. t.]1. The act of demanding; an asking with authority; a peremptory urging of a claim; a claiming or challenging as due; requisition; as, the demand of a creditor; a note payable on demand. The demand [is] by the word of the holy ones. --Dan. iv. 17. He that has confidence to turn his wishes into demands will be but a little way from thinking he ought to obtain them. --Locke. 2. Earnest inquiry; question; query. --Shak. 3. A diligent seeking or search; manifested want; desire to possess; request; as, a demand for certain goods; a person's company is in great demand. In 1678 came forth a second edition [Pilgrim's Progress] with additions; and then the demand became immense. --Macaulay. 4. That which one demands or has a right to demand; thing claimed as due; claim; as, demands on an estate. 5. (Law) (a) The asking or seeking for what is due or claimed as due. (b) The right or title in virtue of which anything may be claimed; as, to hold a demand against a person. (c) A thing or amount claimed to be due. In demand, in request; being much sought after. On demand, upon presentation and request of payment.
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