prerequisite
Americanadjective
noun
-
prerequisites
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of prerequisite
Compare meaning
How does prerequisite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A prerequisite is a required prior condition. If something is required in advance of something else, like if you have to take a beginning Spanish class before signing up for Spanish II, then it’s a prerequisite. Add pre meaning "before" to require and you have something that's "required before." (That's helpful when trying to spell prerequisite!) Prerequisites to be able to graduate from college can seem like a pain, but most schools offer some fun ways to fulfill them. For example, you can often meet the physical education prerequisite by taking bowling. Prerequisites aren't just for school: “The most called-upon prerequisite of a friend is an accessible ear,” said Maya Angelou, the American poet.
Vocabulary lists containing prerequisite
Power Prefix: pre-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Grade 9, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Vocabulary of College
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Recent history suggests success in one of football's biggest tournaments has become almost a prerequisite.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
We ate thick slices with cold salted butter — not so much smeared across the crumb as laid on in pale slabs, because patience has never been a prerequisite for breakfast.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
“The entity’s failure is not a prerequisite for there to be a crime in intentionally misleading conduct,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
We often take liberty for granted, but it is a prerequisite for everything great.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Indeed, the more one considers it, the more obvious it seems: association with a truly distinguished household is a prerequisite of 'greatness'.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Such capabilities are considered essential prerequisites for the emergence of living systems.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 2026
Not all patients have the right size valve or other anatomical prerequisites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026
Bolen, who is publishing a book on aging, caregiving and creating family legacy, emphasized that estate planning and giving strategies should prioritize family harmony and care planning as prerequisites to financial gifts.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 10, 2025
At the last G7 meeting, held in Canada in June, the group's member states and Australia decided to collaborate on establishing benchmarks that are "prerequisites for the development of quantum technologies".
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2025
Again and again, people with access to the prerequisites for food production, and with a location favoring diffusion of technology from elsewhere, replaced peoples lacking these advantages.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
