I. (ˈ)prē+ noun
Etymology: pre- + requisite, n.
1. : something that is required beforehand : something that is necessary to an end or to the carrying out of a function
payment of the tax as a prerequisite for voting — American Guide Series: Arkansas
the days before there were anesthetics, when speed was one of the prerequisites of a surgeon — O.S.J.Gogarty
2.
a. : an educational requirement that a student must satisfy before he is permitted to do advanced work
a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for graduate work
b. : a course that a student must complete as a sensible or arbitrary requirement for another course
freshman composition is a prerequisite for advanced composition
II. adjective
Etymology: pre- + requisite, adjective
: required beforehand : necessary as a preliminary condition