Functional Requirement: What the system should do — a specific feature or behaviour.
Example
"The system should send an order confirmation email after payment" is a functional requirement.
Why Functional Requirement matters for IT interns
It tells you exactly what to build and what testers will check.
Where you will hear it
You will hear this term in development teams, in code reviews and technical discussions, and in technical interviews. If someone uses it and you are not sure what they mean in your project, it is completely fine to ask; every team uses terms a little differently.
Related terms
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Frequently asked questions
What is Functional Requirement?
What the system should do — a specific feature or behaviour.
What is an example of Functional Requirement?
"The system should send an order confirmation email after payment" is a functional requirement.
Why does Functional Requirement matter for IT interns?
It tells you exactly what to build and what testers will check.
Explore more internship terms
The IT Internship Glossary explains 199 terms you will hear before and during your internship, with simple definitions and real examples.
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About the author
Dhaivat has 16+ years of experience in the IT industry, working on AI and cloud technologies, project delivery, and engineering leadership. He has interviewed and mentored many interns, wrote The Lost Intern, and runs the non-commercial Career Impact Initiative, mentoring students for free.