project

[ noun proj-ekt, -ikt; verb pruh-jekt ]

noun

1. something that is contemplated, devised, or planned; plan; scheme:

   I have several little projects around the house that I’d like to tackle in my time off.

   Synonyms: proposal

2. a large or major undertaking, especially one involving considerable money, personnel, and equipment:

   The city is undertaking several public works projects to modernize and upgrade infrastructure.

3. a specific task of investigation, especially in scholarship:

   Federal funding supports some cancer-related projects while other research is sustained by private grants.

4. Education. a supplementary, long-term educational assignment necessitating personal initiative, undertaken by an individual student or a group of students:

   For my literature class project, I wrote an original rock opera and performed one song from it.

5. the projects, Informal. a housing project, typically one constructed as a development of high-rise towers with apartments for low-income residents, especially in the second half of the 20th century:

   Back in those days, the projects were no place to raise a family.

verb (used with object)

1. to propose, contemplate, or plan.

   Synonyms: devise, plot, scheme, contrive

2. to throw, cast, or impel forward or onward.
3. to set forth or calculate (some future thing):

   They projected the building costs for the next five years.

   Synonyms: predict

4. to throw or cause to fall upon a surface or into space, as a ray of light or a shadow.
5. to cause (a figure or image) to appear, as on a background.
6. to regard (something within the mind, as a feeling, thought, or attitude) as having some form of reality outside the mind:

   He projected a thrilling picture of the party's future.

7. to cause to jut out or protrude.
8. Geometry.
   1. to throw forward an image of (a figure or the like) by straight lines or rays, either parallel, converging, or diverging, that pass through all its points and reproduce it on another surface or figure.
   2. to transform the points (of one figure) into those of another by a correspondence between points.
9. to present (an idea, program, etc.) for consideration or action:

   They made every effort to project the notion of world peace.

10. to use (one's voice, gestures, etc.) forcefully enough to be perceived at a distance, as by all members of the audience in a theater.
11. to communicate clearly and forcefully (one's thoughts, personality, role, etc.) to an audience, as in a theatrical performance; produce a compelling image of.
12. to cause (the voice) to appear to come from a source other than oneself, as in ventriloquism; throw.

verb (used without object)

1. to extend or protrude beyond something else.

   Synonyms: overhang, obtrude, bulge

2. to use one's voice forcefully enough to be heard at a distance, as in a theater.
3. to produce a clear impression of one's thoughts, personality, role, etc., in an audience; communicate clearly and forcefully.
4. Psychology. to ascribe one's own feelings, thoughts, or attitudes to others.

project

noun

1. a proposal, scheme, or design
2. 1. a task requiring considerable or concerted effort, such as one by students
   2. the subject of such a task
3. See housing project
   short for housing project

verb

1. tr to propose or plan
2. tr to predict; estimate; extrapolate

   we can project future needs on the basis of the current birth rate

3. tr to throw or cast forwards
4. to jut or cause to jut out
5. tr to send forth or transport in the imagination

   to project oneself into the future

6. tr to cause (an image) to appear on a surface
7. to cause (one's voice) to be heard clearly at a distance
8. psychol
   1. intr (esp of a child) to believe that others share one's subjective mental life
   2. to impute to others (one's hidden desires and impulses), esp as a means of defending oneself Compare introject
9. tr geometry to draw a projection of
10. intr to communicate effectively, esp to a large gathering

Other Words From

• pro·jecta·ble adjective
• pro·jecting·ly adverb
• counter·project noun
• nonpro·jecting adjective
• repro·ject verb
• subproject noun
• unpro·jected adjective
• unpro·jecting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of project¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun project(e) “design, plan,” from Medieval Latin prōjectum, Latin: “projecting part,” noun use of neuter of Latin prōjectus, past participle of prōicere “to throw forward, extend,” equivalent to prō- pro- ¹ + -icere, combining form of jacere “to throw”

Word History and Origins

Origin of project¹

C14: from Latin prōicere to throw down, from pro- ¹+ iacere to throw

Synonym Study

See plan.

Example Sentences

I started just writing these songs, at first it felt like a project or something.

From The Daily Beast

Thus begins an episode of The Mindy Project centered around a guy trying to have butt sex with his girlfriend.

From The Daily Beast

Riots broke out in 1994, after Iranian authorities replaced a Sunni mosque in Mashad with a development project.

From The Daily Beast

Gurley was gunned down on Nov. 20, when a pair of cops was patrolling the rough housing project.

From The Daily Beast

Opechatesgays.com is one project of a much larger organization, EthicalOil.org—and here is where things get really interesting.

From The Daily Beast

The worthy knight not being now alive to veto the project, a figure of him has been placed opposite the College in Edmund Street.

From Project Gutenberg

Her black eyes were fixed intently on his face, but she was thinking, weighing in her mind some suddenly-formed project.

From Project Gutenberg

Very soon I induced my directors to adopt the view that the railway company must encourage and help the project.

From Project Gutenberg

New York is like one of those nightmares a certain class of writers project and label 'Earth in the Year 2000.'

From Project Gutenberg

The project of a congress was accordingly abandoned, and everywhere recrimination gave place to rejoicing.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• activity
• business
• deal
• design
• enterprise
• job
• plan
• program
• proposal
• scheme
• strategy
• task
• venture