In plain English
It refers to a place on a form that cannot be left empty. A value needs to be present there before the form can be sent.
In context
Here, it marks that input as one that needs a value before the profile or settings form can be submitted.
- Situation
- Profile setup, contact details, verification fields, and preference settings
- What it communicates
- marks a form input as mandatory before the profile or settings form can be submitted.
Meaning limits
By itself, the term does not say what value is needed, only that the field cannot be without one.
Examples
“Email address is a required field, but company name can be left blank.”
“Before submitting the profile form, fill in every required field.”