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Prepositions after adjectives

How to use required with prepositions

Required can be followed by for, by, or of, depending on whether you mean purpose, authority, or expectation.

Quick answer

Different meanings

Use required for for purpose, required by for rules or authority, and required of for expectations placed on a person or group.

A passport is required for international travel.
Helmets are required by law.
Patience is required of all trainees.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
required for + activity

Showing purpose or necessity

Use for when something is needed for a task, event, or goal.

Experience is required for the position.
2
required by + authority

Showing a rule or source of obligation

Use by for laws, policies, contracts, or institutions.

The form is required by the university.
3
required of + person

Showing expectations placed on someone

Use of when referring to duties or standards expected from people.

Professional conduct is required of all staff.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
required for
Training is required for the role.
Needed for a purpose or activity.
required by
The report is required by regulation.
Demanded by an authority or rule.
required of
Leadership is required of senior managers.
Expected from a person or group.
required to
Employees are required to attend.
Followed by an infinitive verb rather than a noun phrase.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by for purpose

By refers to authority, not purpose.

✕ A visa is required by entry to the country. ✓ A visa is required for entry to the country.

Using of with objects

Of usually refers to expectations from people.

✕ A password is required of the website. ✓ A password is required for the website.

Confusing by and of

By names the authority; of names the people expected to do something.

✕ Professional behaviour is required by all employees. ✓ Professional behaviour is required of all employees.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Safety equipment is required ___ all visitors.
2. A permit is required ___ construction work.
3. The document is required ___ federal law.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between required for and required by?

Required for refers to purpose or need, while required by refers to a rule or authority.

When do I use required of?

Use required of when talking about standards or duties expected from people.

Can required take an infinitive?

Yes. You can say someone is required to do something.

racist-in-against-for-to, towards "radical in" or "radical for"? rampant in, among, with, on or throughout? "rare in" or "rare for"? "rational for" or "rational in"? "raw in", "raw for" or "raw with"? reachable by, from, on, in or through? "reactive to", "reactive rather" or "reactive in"? ready for, to, in, at or by? "realistic about" or "realistic in"? "real to", "real for" or "real in"? rearing of, as or on?

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