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Added 9 October 2026

request

/ɹɪˈkwɛst/ verb

In Latin: petō, requīrō, poscō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about request at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To ask for (something).
The corporal requested reinforcements.
To ask (somebody) to do something.
She called me into her office and requested me to sit down.

noun

Act of requesting (with the adposition at in the presence of possessives, and on in their absence).
A formal message requesting something.
Condition of being sought after.

Origin

From Middle English request, from Old French requeste (French requête), from Vulgar Latin *requaesita, from Latin requīsīta, feminine of requīsītus (“requested, demanded”), past participle of requīrō (“require, ask”), composed of re- + quaerō (“to seek, look for”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Italic *kʷaizeō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeh₂- (“to acquire”). Compare to French requérir.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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