Request: Definition, Usage & Key Examples

Meaning 1：formal ask (request)

request 🔊

/rɪˈkwest/

When you ask for something politely or in a formal way.

Illustration of a formal request: person handing a late check-out note at hotel reception

formal ask 🔊

➕

/ˈfɔːrməl æsk/

The act of asking for something politely or in an official manner, often implying courtesy and a structured approach.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'requaerere' (re- 'again' + quaerere 'to seek, ask'), via Old French 'requeste'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think RE-QUEST: you RE-ask for something on a QUEST to obtain it.

📖 Example

The customer made a polite request for gluten-free options at the restaurant. 🔊 The customer politely asked the restaurant for gluten-free menu choices.

🔗 Collocations

make a request – to formally ask for something

grant a request – to agree to what someone has asked for

deny a request – to refuse what someone has asked for

🔄 Synonyms

petition (n.) – a formal written request, often signed by many people, typically to an authority

appeal (n.) – a serious and urgent request for help or support

entreaty (n.) – a sincere and earnest request, often made with emotion

🚫 Antonyms

refusal (n.) – the act of declining or saying no to a request

denial (n.) – the rejection or dismissal of a request

🌱 Derivatives

requester (n.) – a person who makes a request

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Latin 'requaerere', meaning 'to seek again'. In modern English, it is a cornerstone of formal communication, ubiquitous in business, legal, and customer service contexts for polite inquiries.