demand
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The ability and desire to buy goods and services.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
dimandSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
dɪˈmænd
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The ability and desire to purchase goods and services
“The automobile reduced the demand for buggywhips.”
An urgent or peremptory request
“His demands for attention were unceasing.”
economics
The market force that causes buyers to be both willing and able to buy a good or service, as measured by the amount of that good or service that is currently salable at any given price point; the amount itself.
A forceful claim for something.
An order.
A requirement.
verb
Request urgently and forcefully
“The victim's family is demanding compensation.”
Require as useful, just, or proper
To claim a right to something.
Ask to be informed of
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The ability and desire to purchase goods and services
Used this way, demand is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“The automobile reduced the demand for buggywhips.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “demand for …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: demand for …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Marketnoun
“The automobile reduced the demand for buggywhips.”
Urgentnoun
“His demands for attention were unceasing.”
Requestverb
“The victim's family is demanding compensation.”
More ways to use demand
- “The victim's family is demanding compensation.”verb
- “The automobile reduced the demand for buggywhips.”noun
- “His demands for attention were unceasing.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Requiring more than usually expected or thought due.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A challenge to defend what someone has said.
As by a sentry.
A loan that is repayable on demand.
A note payable on demand.
Inflation caused by an increase in demand or in the supply of money.
A bank deposit from which withdrawals can be made without notice.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: request urgently and forcefully
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.