demand and need share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. demand means “request urgently and forcefully”. need means “a condition requiring relief”. need is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪˈmænd/
1.v.request urgently and forcefully
“The victim's family is demanding compensation”
2.v.require as useful, just, or proper
“It takes nerve to do what she did”
3.v.claim as due or just
“The bank demanded payment of the loan”
/ˈnid/
1.n.a condition requiring relief
“she satisfied his need for affection”
2.n.anything that is necessary but lacking
“he had sufficient means to meet his simple needs”
3.n.the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior
“we did not understand his motivation”
| demand | need | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈmænd/ | /ˈnid/ |
| Said | di-MAND | need |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 11 | 7 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | demand |
Full entry for demand · Full entry for need · More comparisons