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I wonder what's the difference between the synonymous words:

required, needed and requisite To me they all mean so similar that I have always used then interchangeably, but I needed to know how you think about them.

For instance, I wonder if any of these three choices "doesn't" work in my scenario (to me they all work without any considerable change in meaning):

After lots of efforts he couldn't achieve that position in their company. He studied for its enterance exam for more than 3 months. Though he passed the test, but unfortunately he was rejected in the interview. Perhaps, he lacked the .................. practical skills for the job.

a. needed (to me it sounds casual and normal)
b. required (it sounds like a formal word to me)
c. requisite (more formal than "required")

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  • The differences can be subtle. You might search for these words online and read them in context, and then compare and contrast which words are used in which situations. I can't easily detail which to use when.
    – Davo
    Jul 11, 2019 at 13:53

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There is a huge difference between needed and required. Need is personal and of vital importance. If you don't get what you need you cannot function fully. You surely would not call a needy person a requiring person? The verb to require means to politely ask someone for something which they should have, or be able to give, as for instance their CV, or qualifications. If this requirement fails, i.e. they do not have whatever is required they can not move on with the transaction, and if a driving licence for instance was required, they would be in trouble. So yes you are right it is a far more formal word. "He lacked the requisite or required," either would be correct though requisite is better English here.

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