request
request
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "request" is:
rɪˈkwɛst
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
ri:
r - alveolar trill consonant (similar to the sound of a rolled "r" in Spanish)
ɪ - near-close near-central unrounded vowel (short "i" sound)
kwest:
kʷ - labialized velar plosive consonant (similar to the "k" sound but with rounded lips)
ɛ - open-mid central vowel (short "e" sound)
st - voiceless alveolar plosive consonant ("t") followed by voiceless alveolar fricative consonant ("s")
Word Form Variations
The word "request" has several variations depending on its function in a sentence:
Noun (singular): request (This is the most common form)
Noun (plural): requests (Used when referring to multiple requests)
Verb (present tense, singular): requests (This might seem unusual, but "requests" can be used as the present tense verb form in some contexts, especially formal writing. For example: "The manager requests your presence in her office.")
Verb (present tense, 3rd person singular): requests (This is the most common verb form, used when the subject is he, she, or it. For example: "He requests a window seat.")
Verb (present participle): requesting (Used to indicate an ongoing action. For example: "She is requesting a leave of absence.")
Verb (past tense): requested (Used to indicate a completed action. For example: "I requested a refund.")
Verb (past participle): requested (This can be used with helping verbs to form perfect tenses. For example: "The package has been requested.")
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Definitions, Synonyms, Antonyms
Noun:
Definition: A polite or formal expression of a wish or desire that something be done or given.
Synonyms: plea, solicitation, petition, application, demand (less polite)
Antonyms: refusal, denial, rejection
Verb (present tense, 3rd person singular and singular formal):
Definition: To formally or politely ask for something.
Synonyms: solicit, petition, apply for, inquire about, demand (less polite)
Antonyms: refuse, deny, reject
Verb (all other conjugations):
Definition: To express a wish or desire for something to be done or given.
Synonyms (present participle): seeking, asking for, inquiring about
Synonyms (past tense/past participle): petitioned, applied for, inquired about
Antonyms: refuse, deny, reject
Note: "Request" does not function as an adjective or adverb in common usage.
Examples of Use
Noun:
Book: "He submitted a written request for a transfer to the marketing department." (John Grisham, The Firm)
Newspaper: "The city council received multiple requests from residents to improve public transportation." (The New York Times, June 24, 2024)
Online Publication: "The online retailer is experiencing a surge in requests for home delivery due to the pandemic." (TechCrunch, May 12, 2023)
Verb:
Movie: "Excuse me, sir, could I request a window seat?" (Scene from Casablanca)
Social Media: "We kindly request that users refrain from posting offensive content." (Twitter company announcement)
Public Discourse: "The teacher requested the student's homework to be completed by the end of the day." (Common classroom scenario)
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10 Famous Quotes Using the term Request
"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy (This quote uses a form of "request" by turning the concept into a question prompting action)
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." - Steve Jobs (This quote implies a request to oneself to keep searching)
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." - Albert Einstein (This quote can be interpreted as a request to maintain a questioning mind)
"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (This quote uses "request" indirectly by suggesting we can choose who we become)
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." - Socrates (Similar to #3, this quote implies a request for continual learning)
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt (This quote uses "request" indirectly by suggesting belief is a necessary action)
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller (This quote uses "request" indirectly by suggesting we open our hearts)
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover." - Mark Twain (This quote uses "request" indirectly by encouraging exploration and discovery)
“The price of greatness is responsibility.” - Winston Churchill (This quote uses "request" indirectly by suggesting greatness comes with a duty)
"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (This quote is a repeat, but it highlights the importance of the concept)
Etymology
The word "request" comes from a long journey through languages! Here's the simplified version:
Way back in ancient Rome, they had a word "requirere" which meant "to seek" or "to ask for something."
Over time, people started using a shortened version, like a nickname, for "requirere" which was "requaesita." This word wasn't officially written down, but people spoke it.
Then, French borrowed this spoken word and turned it into "requeste."
Finally, English borrowed the word "requeste" from French in the 1300s and changed it slightly to our modern "request."
So, "request" started out as a general idea of asking for something, and that meaning has stuck with it over the centuries!
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Phrases + Idioms Containing the term Request
Phrases:
Put in a request: To formally ask for something, often in writing or through an official channel. (e.g., "I put in a request for a vacation day next week.")
At your request: Used to acknowledge that you are doing something because someone has asked you to. (e.g., "At your request, I've included additional information in the report.")
By special request: Used to indicate that something is being done or offered because someone specifically asked for it. (e.g., "By special request, the band will play their greatest hits!")
Grant a request: To agree to someone's request and do what they have asked. (e.g., "The teacher granted my request for a bathroom break.")
Honour a request: Similar to "grant a request," but emphasises fulfilling the request with respect or courtesy. (e.g., "The company will honour all refund requests submitted before July 1st.")
Idioms:
Leave much to be desired: This doesn't directly use "request" but implies something falls short of expectations. (e.g., "The customer service left much to be desired.") - opposite of requesting something well
Go above and beyond: To do more than what is requested or expected. (e.g., "The assistant went above and beyond by helping me with my presentation.")
Posts Related to Request
Source Information
Definition of request from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
