verb
Meaning 1
To shout out in order to summon (a person).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- I leant out of the back door and called for Lucy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
call for
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
verb
Meaning 2
To ask for in a loud voice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- We finished the main course in short order and called for more wine.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To request, demand.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- The government has called for an end to hostilities in the region.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To necessitate, demand, exact; to make appropriate
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- This situation calls for a high degree of courage.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To stop at a place and ask for (someone).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- I'll call for you just after midday.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To anticipate, predict.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, informal
Examples
- The forecast calls for rain.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
express the need or desire for; ask for
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- She requested an extra bed in her room
- She called for room service
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: request, bespeak, quest
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: communicate, pass on, pass, pass along, put across
Narrower terms: order, ask, encore, petition, demand, appeal, invoke, supplicate, apply, solicit, beg, tap, reserve, challenge, excuse, beg off, claim, invite, call for, ask in, desire, lay claim, arrogate, ask over, ask round, call, ask out, invite out, take out, hold, book
verb
Meaning 8
request the participation or presence of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The organizers invite submissions of papers for the conference
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: invite
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: request, bespeak, call for, quest
verb
Meaning 9
gather or collect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- You can get the results on Monday
- She picked up the children at the day care center
- They pick up our trash twice a week
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: collect, pick up, gather up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: get, acquire
verb
Meaning 10
require as useful, just, or proper
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- It takes nerve to do what she did
- success usually requires hard work
- This job asks a lot of patience and skill
- This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice
- This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert
- This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: necessitate, ask, postulate, need, require, take, involve, demand
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: claim, take, exact, govern, draw, cost, cry out for, cry for, compel
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Danish: kalde på — to summon
- Finnish: kutsua — to summon
- French: appeler — to summon
- Hungarian: hív — to summon
- Latin: acciō — to summon
- Old English: ġelangian — to summon
- Portuguese: chamar — to summon
- Spanish: llamar — to summon
- Zulu: -biza — to summon
- Finnish: vaatia — to ask for (something) in loud voice
- French: demander — to ask for (something) in loud voice
- French: commander — to ask for (something) in loud voice
- Sikkimese: ཀུག (kug) — to ask for (something) in loud voice
- Spanish: recabar — to ask for (something) in loud voice
- Spanish: clamar — to ask for (something) in loud voice
- Zulu: -biza — to ask for (something) in loud voice
- Arabic: دَعَا إِلَى (daʕā ʔilā) — to request, demand
- Finnish: vaatia — to request, demand
- French: demander — to request, demand
- Hungarian: követel — to request, demand
- Hungarian: felhív — to request, demand
- Spanish: clamar — to request, demand
- Spanish: recabar — to request, demand
- Zulu: -biza — to request, demand
- Finnish: vaatia — to necessitate, demand
- French: exiger — to necessitate, demand
- French: nécessiter — to necessitate, demand
- Hungarian: igényel — to necessitate, demand
- Hungarian: kíván — to necessitate, demand
- Hungarian: megkíván — to necessitate, demand
- Hungarian: követel — to necessitate, demand
- Portuguese: exigir — to necessitate, demand
- Spanish: clamar — to necessitate, demand
- Finnish: tulla käymään — to come to a place to ask for (someone)
- French: passer — to come to a place to ask for (someone)