ReferenceError: request is not defined

I got the same error but in a different context than yours; when I tried importing

import { Request } from 'express'

export class UserRequest extends Request {
  user: UserEntity;
}

the problem was caused because of using class instead of interface

This example is making use of third-party Request module.

You could also use the native request like so: require('http').request(), if you want to, but I would say, that the request module is very common, and a good tool to use.

Your request, which is commented out, points to express.request. If used like request() will throw an error, since it's not a function. So, you should really use the Request module, or adjust the code to use native http.request.

Update 2020

The request module is deprecated now, so if you are reading this answer, use the native module or find a popular third-party library like Axios or others.

You have not installed request module.

First install it npm install --save request and then include it var request = require('request');