PROPOSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does propose mean? 

• PROPOSE (verb)
  The verb PROPOSE has 5 senses:

1. make a proposal, declare a plan for something

2. present for consideration, examination, criticism, etc.

3. propose or intend

4. put forward; nominate for appointment to an office or for an honor or position

5. ask (someone) to marry you

  Familiarity information: PROPOSE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PROPOSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they propose    ... he / she / it proposes   
Past simple: proposed   
Past participle: proposed   
-ing form: proposing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make a proposal, declare a plan for something

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

advise; propose; suggest

Context example:

the senator proposed to abolish the sales tax

Hypernyms (to "propose" is one way to...):

declare (state emphatically and authoritatively)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "propose"):

advocate; recommend; urge (push for something)

advance; throw out (bring forward for consideration or acceptance)

proposition (suggest sex to)

feed back (respond to a query or outcome)

posit; put forward; state; submit (put before)

make a motion; move (propose formally; in a debate or parliamentary meeting)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence examples:

They propose him to write the letter
They propose to move

Derivation:

proposal (the act of making a proposal)

proposer (someone who advances a suggestion or proposal)

proposition (the act of making a proposal)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Present for consideration, examination, criticism, etc.

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

project; propose

Context example:

The candidate projects himself as a moderate and a reformer

Hypernyms (to "propose" is one way to...):

plan (make plans for something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "propose"):

offer (put forward for consideration)

introduce (put before (a body))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Derivation:

proposer ((parliamentary procedure) someone who makes a formal motion)

proposition (a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Propose or intend

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

aim; propose; purport; purpose

Context example:

I aim to arrive at noon

Hypernyms (to "propose" is one way to...):

intend; mean; think (have in mind as a purpose)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sense 4

Meaning:

Put forward; nominate for appointment to an office or for an honor or position

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

nominate; propose

Context example:

The President nominated her as head of the Civil Rights Commission

Hypernyms (to "propose" is one way to...):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "propose"):

nominate; put forward; put up (propose as a candidate for some honor)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Ask (someone) to marry you

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

declare oneself; offer; pop the question; propose

Context example:

The old bachelor finally declared himself to the young woman

Hypernyms (to "propose" is one way to...):

request (ask (a person) to do something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s to somebody

Derivation:

proposal (an offer of marriage)

 Context examples 

What did she propose to herself, I should like to know!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Amazed that Isabella could endure it, and jealous for her brother, she rose up, and saying she should join Mrs. Allen, proposed their walking.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Cartilage extracted from various parts of a cow and is proposed to stimulate the immune system and inhibit tumor cell growth.

(Bovine Cartilage, NCI Thesaurus)

When I had put an end to these long discources, his majesty, in a sixth audience, consulting his notes, proposed many doubts, queries, and objections, upon every article.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The substance has been proposed as a cytostatic and for treatment of psoriasis.

(Bischloroethylsulfide, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Proposed NCI supported network to provide research community with means to evaluate and validate signatures and possible diagnostic value.

(Diagnostics Validation Network, NCI Thesaurus)

He is still able to think and act; and I write, by his desire, to propose your returning home.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

It also has hypnotic, anticonvulsant, and considerable sedative properties and has been proposed as a preanesthetic agent.

(Lorazepam, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

As the clock struck nine and Jo proposed bed, Meg suddenly left her chair and, taking Beth's stool, leaned her elbows on her mother's knee, saying bravely...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

A classification system established by adopting the original system proposed by Shimada with subsequent revisions.

(International Neuroblastoma Pathology Classification, NCI Thesaurus)