demand 1 of 2

1
as in request
something that someone insists upon having agreed to the customer's demand for a refund

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in market
the state of being sought after especially for purchase a steadily declining demand for film cameras

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

demand

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb demand contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of demand are claim, exact, and require. While all these words mean "to ask or call for something as due or as necessary," demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt

When can claim be used instead of demand?

While in some cases nearly identical to demand, claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs

When could exact be used to replace demand?

The words exact and demand can be used in similar contexts, but exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty

When is require a more appropriate choice than demand?

In some situations, the words require and demand are roughly equivalent. However, require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention

Examples of demand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Perplexity’s existing investors include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, SoftBank Group Corp.’s Vision Fund 2 and chip maker Nvidia, whose fortunes have boomed on strong demand for AI applications. Todd Spangler, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024 Union members on strike in Southern California have said their demands are line in with what Kaiser has provided to the majority of its workforce. Robert Ilich, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
Another prominent category involved scams where crooks infiltrate business email accounts and use the information obtained, including contact listings, to demand payment for various services. Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 20 Oct. 2024 The next President will have to deal with a steady stream of unnatural disasters that will demand ever more federal dollars, and also quite likely with an insurance crisis that could reignite inflation. Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for demand 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near demand

Cite this Entry

“Demand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demand. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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