prerequisite

From pre- + requisite.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pɹiːˈɹɛkwɪzɪt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /pɹiˈɹɛkwəzət/, /pɹiˈɹɛkwɪzɪt/

prerequisite (not comparable)

1. Required as a prior condition of something else; necessary or indispensable.

   The prerequisite warm-up to the match was ignored.

   A good command of Spanish is prerequisite for enrolling in this course.

• See also Thesaurus:requisite

prerequisite (plural prerequisites)

1. Something that is required as necessary or indispensable, or as a prior condition of something else.

   Hypernym: requisite

   A degree is a prerequisite for entry into this profession.

   • 1995, Richard Olson, Science Deified & Science Defied:

     Only a full-scale analysis of the origin and development of our sensations and ideas can provide this knowledge; so Hartley's associationist psychology becomes the prerequisite for moral knowledge.

   • 2009, Rob Bovey, Stephen Bullen, Dennis Wallentin, John Green, Professional Excel Development:

     If you examine the prerequisites list, you will notice it does not include bootstrapper packages for the Office 2003 PIAs.

2. (education) A course or topic that must be completed before another course or topic can be started.

   Synonym: prereq (colloquial)

   Algebra is typically a prerequisite for physics.