as in requirement
something that you officially must have or do before you can have or do something else
Citizenship is a prerequisite for voting. The introductory course is a prerequisite for the advanced-level courses. Having good credit is a prerequisite to applying for a loan.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in necessary
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prerequisite
Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2026
Scoring 30 points per game was a prerequisite, Sanders said.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Their PCs don’t have the prerequisite hardware to meet the Windows 11 upgrade test.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prerequisite
Noun
Arriving in the Coachella Valley, with its impossibly blue skies and neighboring Joshua Tree wilderness, one's sense of scale and perspective soon recalibrates; a prerequisite, perhaps, for experiencing a city that has long served as refuge.
—Sophie Morgan, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2026
Scoring 30 points per game was a prerequisite, Sanders said.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Zinner completed prerequisite courses for medical school at UMiami in his junior year and returned to Johns Hopkins for his graduating senior year.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Their PCs don’t have the prerequisite hardware to meet the Windows 11 upgrade test.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prerequisite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prerequisite
Noun
-
Sachs said additional data about Idahoans would likely have to be collected to fulfill the requirements.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The substitute also allows for the state to request a hardship waiver, something that was blocked under the original bill, from the community engagement requirements for counties with high unemployment, greater than 8% or one-and-a-half times higher than the national rate.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Tilling is sometimes necessary, such as when incorporating compost or manure, but limiting the frequency and intensity can help maintain soil structure.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
And despite a battery of necessary offseason changes, everything felt the same.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jabran Sarfraz, a prominent economist in Karachi, said the immediate burden would fall on consumers, warning that higher fuel prices would raise the cost of daily necessities and disproportionately affect lower-income groups.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure without clear militarily necessity is considered a violation of international law.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On the night Illinois lost to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament, coach Brad Underwood lamented that his team didn’t show the requisite toughness to advance beyond the quarterfinal.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Still, the plot, involving Morty’s relationship with a new character, a time warrior named Elle, along with the requisite alternative versions of Rick, is very densely knotted without the benefit of any jokes.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
City leaders, however, maintain that the changes threaten jobs and essential services in communities that have depended on card rooms for decades.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Resistance is likely to be strongest among European governments, still shocked by Beijing’s threats last year to cut off supplies of rare earths — essential for clean tech — and worried about further hollowing out their own green industries.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The school's practices allowed people to get massage therapy licenses without finishing the required training, according to TDLR.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Nassau County executive, who has no serious opposition in the GOP primary for governor, was denied funding by the state Campaign Finance Board by a 4-3 party line vote because his running mate failed to file required paperwork.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Irrigation is crucial in an area that's primarily dry land agriculture.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Called the trans-lunar injection burn (TLI), the crucial maneuver is scheduled to take place roughly 24 hours into the mission.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Campbell, who ordinarily would represent DiZoglio in court to compel the Legislature to comply, has refused to do so on the flimsy excuse that DiZoglio has not provided needed information.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The memo stated the federal government had started site preparation but blamed Pritzker for delaying the land purchase and a needed state permit.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prerequisite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prerequisite. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
