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I need to reduce "Is it required?" to a single word for an input label in a web form and also for a column name in the database. Any suggestions what to name the field?

Enter field name |____________|

Requiredness <radio-field>
O YES
O No
O Recommended

.

+--------------+--------------+--------------+
               |              |Requiredness  |
+--------------+--------------+--------------+
               |              |yes           |
               |              |no            |
               |              |recommended   |

Is Requiredness a right word here? Any more suggestions?

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  • Good question. I can only think of other made-up words like mandatoricity.
    – phoog
    May 11, 2016 at 4:59
  • 2
    I build form engines often. I've always just used one word, with a question mark: "Required?" It implies a question, no need for extra words.
    – lux
    May 11, 2016 at 20:49
  • @lux but here we can't use a question mark, said the OP.
    – NVZ ♦
    May 12, 2016 at 3:02
  • @NVZ Okay, remove the question mark? It's the desired nomenclature to boot: leemunroe.com/required-fields (required field)
    – lux
    May 12, 2016 at 3:12
  • @lux now that makes sense. :)
    – NVZ ♦
    May 12, 2016 at 3:15

2 Answers 2

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Consider necessity, from ODO

The state or fact of being required

the necessity of providing parental guidance:

It is a synonym of requiredness, from ODO

The fact or quality of being required; necessity, obligatoriness

I'm no programmer, but requiredness is okay to be used for this purpose. Here's an example from IBM site.

Or simply using required would be fine.

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  • Thanks for that link. It gives me a little confidence to zero in on requiredness. Yet I also realize that required would rather be better.
    – Tabrez Ahmed
    May 12, 2016 at 4:16
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You could use need. After all, require means to need something.

Here is a fancy word, desideration, from Wiktionary

The act of desiderating. (expressing a need or wish to have or attain)

Something desired or required.

Also, Try demand - a strong need for something.

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  • Requiredness connotes gradientness to me. I'm a rare user of field entry forms and requiredness would throw me. Even without the question mark, the response options imply it well enough:
    – Bea Bonmot
    May 12, 2016 at 7:40

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