Require vs. Want — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Published on December 8, 2023
"Require" implies a necessity or obligation, whereas "Want" indicates a desire or wish.
Difference Between Require and Want
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Require" and "Want" are both verbs in the English language, but their implications are distinctively different. While "Require" often suggests a sense of obligation or need, "Want" leans towards a personal desire or longing.
In many contexts, "Require" denotes something essential or indispensable. Conversely, "Want" might not signify an urgency or indispensability but rather a preference or inclination.
When using "Require," one might be highlighting a condition or criterion that has to be fulfilled. In contrast, using "Want" might not necessarily imply conditions or criteria but just an expression of a wish or yearning.
"Require" can be objective and universally applicable in certain situations, suggesting an imposed necessity. On the other hand, "Want" is largely subjective, originating from individual feelings or desires.
From a tone perspective, "Require" might come off as more authoritative or mandatory. In comparison, "Want" might sound more casual or optional.
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Comparison Chart
Implication
Necessity or Obligation
Desire or Wish
Usage Context
Essential or Indispensable
Preference or Inclination
Conditions/Criteria
Often has conditions or criteria
Might not have conditions or criteria
Objectivity
Can be objective and universally applicable
Largely subjective
Tone
Authoritative or mandatory
Casual or optional
Compare with Definitions
Require
To make it mandatory or obligatory.
Laws require citizens to pay taxes.
Want
To have a desire for something.
I want a piece of chocolate.
Require
To specify as a condition or stipulation.
The contract requires timely payments.
Want
To lack or be short of something.
He is in want of good company.
Require
To need something for a particular purpose.
Cars require fuel to run.
Want
To wish for something to happen.
I want you to be happy.
Require
To ask or insist upon.
I require your immediate attention.
Want
To feel the need of something.
I want a vacation.
Require
To demand as essential or vital.
This job requires specific skills.
Want
To have a strong feeling to have (something); wish (to possess or do something); desire greatly
She wants a glass of water. They want to leave.
Require
To have as a requisite or necessity; need or depend on
Do you require assistance? Most plants require plenty of water.
Want
To desire (someone to do something)
I want you to clean your room.
Require
To stipulate as obligatory by authority
The law requires full disclosure of charitable donations.
Want
To request the presence or assistance of
You are wanted by your office.
Require
To demand as obligatory or appropriate
Skiing requires practice.
Want
To seek with intent to capture
The fugitive is wanted by the police.
Require
To impose an obligation on; compel
The school requires all students to study mathematics.
Want
To have an inclination toward; like
Say what you want, but be tactful.
Require
(obsolete) To ask (someone) for something; to request.
Want
(Informal) To be obliged (to do something)
You want to be careful on the ice.
Require
To demand, to insist upon (having); to call for authoritatively.
Want
To be in need of; require
"'Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter" (Lewis Carroll).
Require
Naturally to demand (something) as indispensable; to need, to call for as necessary.
Want
To be without; lack.
Require
To demand of (someone) to do something.
Want
To be inclined or desirous; wish
Call me daily if you want.
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.
Want
The condition or quality of lacking something usual or necessary
Stayed home for want of anything better to do.
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.
Want
Pressing need; destitution
Lives in want.
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.
Want
Something desired
A person of few wants and needs.
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
Want
A defect of character; a fault.
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
Want
(transitive) To wish for or desire (something); to feel a need or desire for; to crave or demand.
What do you want to eat?
I want you to leave.
Never wanted to go back to live with my mother.
Require
Make someone do something
Want
(by extension) To make it easy or tempting to do something undesirable, or to make it hard or challenging to refrain from doing it.
The game developers of Candy Crush want you to waste large, copious amounts of your money on in-game purchases to buy boosters and lives.
Depression wants you to feel like the world is dark and that you are not worthy of happiness. The first step to making your life better from this day forward is to stop believing these lies.
Require
Have need of;
This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner
Want
To wish, desire, or demand to see, have the presence of or do business with.
Ma’am, you are exactly the professional we want for this job.
Danish police want him for embezzlement.
Want
(intransitive) To desire (to experience desire); to wish.
You can leave if you want.
Want
.
You’ll want to repeat this three or four times to get the best result.
Want
To lack and be in need of or require (something, such as a noun or verbal noun).
That chair wants fixing.
Want
To have occasion for (something requisite or useful); to require or need.
Want
To be lacking or deficient or absent.
There was something wanting in the play.
Want
To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.
The paupers desperately want.
Want
To lack and be without, to not have (something).
She wanted anything she needed.
Want
To lack and (be able to) do without.
Want
(countable) A desire, wish, longing.
Want
Lack, absence, deficiency.
A want of sense.
Want
(uncountable) Poverty.
Want
Something needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt.
Want
A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.
Want
(dialectal) A mole (Talpa europea).
Want
The state of not having; the condition of being without anything; absence or scarcity of what is needed or desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing.
And me, his parent, would full soon devourFor want of other prey.
From having wishes in consequence of our wants, we often feel wants in consequence of our wishes.
Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and more saucy.
Want
Specifically, absence or lack of necessaries; destitution; poverty; penury; indigence; need.
Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches, as to conceive how others can be in want.
Want
That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use or pleasure.
Habitual superfluities become actual wants.
Want
A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.
Want
To be without; to be destitute of, or deficient in; not to have; to lack; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing.
They that want honesty, want anything.
Nor think, though men were none,That heaven would want spectators, God want praise.
The unhappy never want enemies.
Want
To have occasion for, as useful, proper, or requisite; to require; to need; as, in winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes.
Want
To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave.
I want to speak to you about something.
Want
To be absent; to be deficient or lacking; to fail; not to be sufficient; to fall or come short; to lack; - often used impersonally with of; as, it wants ten minutes of four.
The disposition, the manners, and the thoughts are all before it; where any of those are wanting or imperfect, so much wants or is imperfect in the imitation of human life.
Want
To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.
You have a gift, sir (thank your education),Will never let you want.
For as in bodies, thus in souls, we findWhat wants in blood and spirits, swelled with wind.
Want
A state of extreme poverty
Want
The state of needing something that is absent or unavailable;
There is a serious lack of insight into the problem
Water is the critical deficiency in desert regions
For want of a nail the shoe was lost
Want
Anything that is necessary but lacking;
He had sufficient means to meet his simple needs
I tried to supply his wants
Want
A specific feeling of desire;
He got his wish
He was above all wishing and desire
Want
Feel or have a desire for; want strongly;
I want to go home now
I want my own room
Want
Have need of;
This piano wants the attention of a competent tuner
Want
Wish or demand the presence of;
I want you here at noon!
Want
Hunt or look for; want for a particular reason;
Your former neighbor is wanted by the FBI
Uncle Sam wants you
Want
Be without, lack; be deficient in;
Want courtesy
Want the strength to go on living
Flood victims wanting food and shelter
Want
To request or seek to obtain.
What do you want from the store?
Common Curiosities
Is "Require" more formal than "Want"?
Generally, "Require" can sound more formal and authoritative than "Want."
Does "Want" always indicate a strong desire?
Not always. The strength of the desire depends on the context and tone.
Is "Require" always about necessities?
Mostly, "Require" denotes necessities, but context can alter its degree of urgency.
Can both words be used interchangeably?
Not always. While they can be synonyms in some contexts, their nuances differ.
Can "Require" be used in conditions or stipulations?
Yes, "Require" is often used to specify conditions or stipulations.
Does "Want" always mean there's a choice?
Not always. Sometimes "Want" can express a strong need or desire without choice.
Is "Require" stronger than "Want" in tone?
Yes, "Require" often has a more authoritative or mandatory tone than "Want."
Can "Want" imply a need in some contexts?
Yes, in some contexts "Want" can imply a strong need, but it's often subjective.
Can "Require" be subjective?
While "Require" often has an objective tone, it can be subjective depending on context.
What's a synonym for "Want"?
A synonym for "Want" could be "Desire."
Can "Want" be used to express lack of something?
Yes, "Want" can mean lacking or being short of something.
Can "Require" imply a demand?
Yes, "Require" can imply a demand or insistence.
Is "Want" more about personal feelings?
Often, "Want" is tied to personal feelings or desires, making it subjective.
What's a synonym for "Require"?
A synonym for "Require" could be "Necessitate."
Can something be both required and wanted?
Yes, something can be both necessary (required) and desired (wanted).
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
