supposed
Americanadjective
-
merely thought or alleged to be such, on a very questionable basis; imagined.
When one tries to understand more about these supposed gains, they turn out to be nothing more than clever rhetoric.
-
accepted or believed to be so, without certain knowledge.
This is the supposed site of the ancient temple, based on recent archeological finds.
-
assumed for the sake of argument; hypothetical.
Given a supposed scenario where you see two students fighting in the schoolyard, how do you handle it?
verb
idioms
adjective
-
(prenominal) presumed to be true without certain knowledge
his supposed date of birth
-
(prenominal) believed to be true on slight grounds; highly doubtful
the supposed existence of ghosts
-
expected or obliged (to)
I'm supposed to be there at nine
-
expected or obliged not (to)
you're not supposed to walk on the grass
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of supposed
Explanation
If you are supposed to do something, it means that you'd better get to it. If you're supposed to go to your grandma's house for dinner, then your grandmother expects you. Something that's required is supposed, and something that's assumed to be true — even if it's really not — is also supposed. If you describe someone as your brother's supposed best friend, it means that everyone thinks of him as a good pal, but maybe he's not as loyal as they believe him to be. If higher taxes result in supposed improvements in your city's schools, things may be better, but there's still some doubt about it.
Vocabulary lists containing supposed
Words That Could Go Either Way: Synonyms for "Maybe"
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Inside Out & Back Again
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The very first year you’re supposed to water regularly, and I did not hand-water enough, so everything basically died. The water bill went down dramatically, though.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
That isn’t supposed to happen to Nestlé: Unflashy yet reliable products such as Nescafé instant coffee and Fancy Feast cat food are expected to deliver steady gains and a solid dividend, rather than wild selloffs.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
The autopsy was supposed to examine a loss.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
"We're only 24 - nobody expects this to happen... Being twins as well, you're not supposed to have one twin not be there," said Caitlin's sister Grace.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
He supposed it was not an absurdly short season.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
