Requested

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈkwɛstɪd/

Definitions

1. Sought or asked for by someone who wanted it to be given, delivered, or done
2. Having been petitioned for, as when a person has formally asked for something to be provided
3. Called for in a polite or formal manner so that another party might supply it

Etymology: The story of "requested" begins with its base, "request," which traces its lineage through the complex web of medieval European languages. The verb "request" came into English in the late 14th century, arriving via Old French "requester," which itself was built on the Latin "requaerere." The Latin root is a compound: "re-" meaning "again" or "back," and "quaerere," to seek or ask. Thus the original sense was to seek again, to ask for something that is owed or needed. Over time, English speakers adopted both the noun and verb forms from French. Initially, the word carried a sense not just of asking, but of petitioning or formally seeking a favor, particularly from someone in authority. This formal, almost legalistic flavor persists in modern contexts—one can "request" a document or "request" permission, a subtle difference from the more informal "ask." The "-ed" ending is simply the regular English past tense suffix, tacked onto the verb to form its past and past participle forms. This aspect is entirely native to English, reflecting the language's shift from synthetic Old English forms to the analytic structures we use today. So, when someone has "requested" something, they are participating in a linguistic tradition that stretches back to Latin inquiry and medieval petitions, shaped by centuries of formality and the slow democratization of language.

Synonyms: asked, solicited, demanded

Antonyms: refused, declined