Definition of "demand" in English

noun

1. The desire to purchase goods and services.

   • Prices usually go up when demand exceeds supply.

2. (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.

   • Supply and demand ebb and flow in a complex interplay.
   • Demand for the kitchenware with the pastel colorway has been running low lately, at an average of only 37 units per week.

3. A forceful claim for something.

   • Modern society is responding to women's demands for equality.

4. A requirement.

   • His job makes many demands on his time.
   • There is a demand for voluntary health workers in the poorer parts of Africa and Asia.

5. An urgent request.

   • She couldn't ignore the newborn baby's demands for attention.

6. An order.

7. (electricity supply) More precisely peak demand or peak load, a 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.

verb

1. To request forcefully.

   • I demand to see the manager.

2. To claim a right to something.

   • The bank is demanding the mortgage payment.

3. To ask forcefully for information.

   • I demand an immediate explanation.

4. To require of someone.

   • This job demands a lot of patience.

5. (law) To issue a summons to court.