Require and Specify

Require

Require verb - To have as a requirement.

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Specify and require are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Specify" instead a verb "Require".

Specify verb - To give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly.

Usage example: the document specifies precisely how you may use the information it contains

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Require and specify are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Require" instead a verb "Specify".

people	require people	specify people
kind	require kind	specify kind
number	require number	specify number
team	require team	specify team
Other words: time, characters, items, player, points, skills.

Supreme Court ruled that the IRS can require you to divulge how much you made from illegal enterprises, as long as they don't require you to specify your criminal activity.

Source: Morton's Fork
Loophole Abuse: Laws require that housepets be on a leash when out in public places, but it doesn't specify anything about who's holding the other end of the leash, which the pets exploit by going out holding their own leashes.

Source: Webcomic / Housepets!
Most tabletop games don't require the player to chant anything, as it's assumed the PC says whatever he needs to say to get the desired spell activated (ie, Power Word Kill doesn't specify the word used).

Source: By the Power of Grayskull! aka: By The Power Of Greyskull

Cite this Source

Specify and Require. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/require/specify

Require & Specify. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/require/specify>.

Specify or Require. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/require/specify.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "require" and "specify" have occurred on timeline