demand

(di-mand′ )

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[L. demandare, to charge, entrust]

1. A need for something.
2. A legal obligation asserted in courts, e.g., payment of a debt or monetary award for injuries suffered by the plaintiff and caused by the defendant.
3. In health care delivery, the amount of care a population seeks to use.
4. In patient-controlled analgesia, a request for a dose of a pain-relieving medication.

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