1. The verbal act of requesting
   "His asking for a raise was met with silence from his boss";
   - request

1. Make a request or demand for something to somebody
   "She asked him for a loan"
    
2. Direct or put; seek an answer to
   "ask a question"
    
3. Address a question to and expect an answer from
   "Ask your teacher about trigonometry"; "The children asked me about their dead grandmother"; "He had to ask directions several times";
   - inquire, enquire [Brit, Cdn]
    
4. Consider obligatory; request and expect
   "Aren't we asking too much of these children?";
   - require, expect
    
5. Require or ask for as a price or condition
   "He is asking $200 for the table"; "The kidnappers are asking a million dollars in return for the release of their hostage"
    
6. Make essential as a condition or prerequisite
   "This job asks a lot of patience and skill";
   - necessitate, postulate, need, require, take, involve, call for, demand

Derived forms: askings

See also: invite

Type of: articulate, ask for, bear on, bespeak, call for, communicate, concern, demand, formulate, give voice, have to do with, intercommunicate, pertain, phrase, refer, relate, request, speech act, touch, touch on, word

Encyclopedia: Asking