Something greatly desired or needed; a requirement or goal that is considered essential.
Latin desideratum, the neuter past participle of desiderare (to desire). It literally means 'something that is desired.' The word entered English during the scholarly revival of classical learning.
This fancy Latin word is the singular form that gave us 'desiderata' (plural)—scholars would list all their desideratums as a formal wish list. It's still used in academic and scientific contexts to mean 'this is what we really need.'
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