demand

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To ask for urgently or peremptorily: demand an investigation into the murder; demanding that he leave immediately; demanded to speak to the manager.
2. v. To claim as just or due: demand repayment of a loan.
3. v. To ask to be informed of: I demand a reason for this interruption.
4. v. To require as useful, just, proper, or necessary; call for: a gem that demands a fine setting.
5. v. Law To summon to court.
6. v. Law To claim formally; lay legal claim to.
7. v. To make a demand.
8. n. The act of demanding.
9. n. Something demanded: granted the employees' demands.
10. n. An urgent requirement or need: the heavy demands of her job; the emotional demands of his marriage; an increased oxygen demand.
11. n. The state of being sought after: in great demand as a speaker.
12. n. Economics The desire to possess a commodity or make use of a service, combined with the ability to purchase it.
13. n. Economics The amount of a commodity or service that people are ready to buy for a given price: Supply should rise to meet demand.
14. n. Computer Science A coding technique in which a command to read or write is initiated as the need for a new block of data occurs, thus eliminating the need to store data.
15. n. Law A formal claim.
16. n. Archaic An emphatic question or inquiry.
17. idiom. on demand When presented for payment: a note payable on demand.
18. idiom. on demand When needed or asked for: fed the baby on demand.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To ask or require as by right or authority, or as that to which one has some valid claim; lay claim to; exact: as, parents demand obedience; what price do you demand?
2. To ask or interrogate by authority or in a formal manner.
3. To ask for with insistence or urgency; make a positive requisition for; exact as a tribute or a concession: as, the thief demanded my purse.
4. To call for; require as necessary or useful: as, the execution of this work demands great care.
5. In law, to summon to court: as, being demanded, he does not come. Synonyms and Request, Beg, etc. See ask.
6. To make a demand; inquire peremptorily; ask.
7. n. An asking for or a claim made by virtue of a right or supposed right to the thing sought; an authoritative claim; an exaction: as, the demands of one's creditors.
8. n. An insistent asking or requisition; exaction without reference to right: as, the demands of a blackmailer.
9. n. That which is demanded or required; something claimed, exacted, or necessary: as, what are your demands upon the estate? the demands upon one's time; the demands of nature.
10. n. The state of being in request or sought after; requisition; call.
11. n. Specifically In political economics, the desire to purchase and possess, coupled with the power of purchasing: sometimes technically called effectual demand: as, the supply exceeds the demand; there is no demand for pig-iron.
12. n. In law:
13. n. The right to claim anything from another person, whether founded on contract or tort, or superior right of property.
14. n. The asking or seeking for what is due or claimed as due, either expressly by words, or by implication, as by seizure of goods or entry into lands.
15. n. Inquiry; question; interrogation.

Wiktionary

1. n. The desire to purchase goods and services.
2. n. economics The amount of a good or service that consumers are willing to buy at a particular price.
3. n. A need.
4. n. A claim for something.
5. n. A requirement.
6. n. An urgent request.
7. n. An order.
8. n. electric the measure of the maximum power load of a utility's customer over a short period of time; the power load integrated over a specified time interval.
9. v. To request forcefully.
10. v. To claim a right to something.
11. v. To ask forcefully for information.
12. v. To require of someone.
13. v. law To issue a summons to court.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To ask or call for with authority; to claim or seek from, as by authority or right; to claim, as something due; to call for urgently or peremptorily
2. v. To inquire authoritatively or earnestly; to ask, esp. in a peremptory manner; to question.
3. v. To require as necessary or useful; to be in urgent need of; hence, to call for.
4. v. (Law) To call into court; to summon.
5. v. To make a demand; to inquire.
6. n. The act of demanding; an asking with authority; a peremptory urging of a claim; a claiming or challenging as due; requisition.
7. n. Earnest inquiry; question; query.
8. n. A diligent seeking or search; manifested want; desire to possess; request.
9. n. That which one demands or has a right to demand; thing claimed as due; claim.
10. n. The asking or seeking for what is due or claimed as due.
11. n. The right or title in virtue of which anything may be claimed.
12. n. A thing or amount claimed to be due.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. lay legal claim to
2. v. summon to court
3. v. ask to be informed of
4. n. a condition requiring relief
5. n. required activity
6. v. claim as due or just
7. n. the act of demanding
8. n. the ability and desire to purchase goods and services
9. n. an urgent or peremptory request
10. v. require as useful, just, or proper
11. v. request urgently and forcefully