project
Americannoun
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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
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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.
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a specific task of investigation, especially in scholarship.
Federal funding supports some cancer-related projects while other research is sustained by private grants.
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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.
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Informal. the projects, 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)
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to propose, contemplate, or plan.
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to throw, cast, or impel forward or onward.
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to set forth or calculate (some future thing).
They projected the building costs for the next five years.
- Synonyms:
- predict
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to throw or cause to fall upon a surface or into space, as a ray of light or a shadow.
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to cause (a figure or image) to appear, as on a background.
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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.
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to cause to jut out or protrude.
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Geometry.
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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.
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to transform the points (of one figure) into those of another by a correspondence between points.
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to present (an idea, program, etc.) for consideration or action.
They made every effort to project the notion of world peace.
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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.
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to communicate clearly and forcefully (one's thoughts, personality, role, etc.) to an audience, as in a theatrical performance; produce a compelling image of.
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to cause (the voice) to appear to come from a source other than oneself, as in ventriloquism; throw.
verb (used without object)
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to extend or protrude beyond something else.
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to use one's voice forcefully enough to be heard at a distance, as in a theater.
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to produce a clear impression of one's thoughts, personality, role, etc., in an audience; communicate clearly and forcefully.
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Psychology. to ascribe one's own feelings, thoughts, or attitudes to others.
noun
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a proposal, scheme, or design
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a task requiring considerable or concerted effort, such as one by students
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the subject of such a task
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short for housing project
verb
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(tr) to propose or plan
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(tr) to predict; estimate; extrapolate
we can project future needs on the basis of the current birth rate
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(tr) to throw or cast forwards
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to jut or cause to jut out
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(tr) to send forth or transport in the imagination
to project oneself into the future
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(tr) to cause (an image) to appear on a surface
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to cause (one's voice) to be heard clearly at a distance
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psychol
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(intr) (esp of a child) to believe that others share one's subjective mental life
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to impute to others (one's hidden desires and impulses), esp as a means of defending oneself Compare introject
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(tr) geometry to draw a projection of
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(intr) to communicate effectively, esp to a large gathering
Synonym Usage
See plan.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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counterprojectnoun
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subprojectnoun
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reprojectverb
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nonprojectingadjective
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projectableadjective
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unprojectedadjective
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unprojectingadjective
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projectinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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projectsimple
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projectssimple
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have projectedperfect
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has projectedperfect
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am projectingprogressive
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are projectingprogressive
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is projectingprogressive
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have been projectingperfect progressive
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has been projectingperfect progressive
Past
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projectedsimple
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had projectedperfect
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was projectingprogressive
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were projectingprogressive
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had been projectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of project
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”
Explanation
A project is a piece of work that is planned or intended. Plan a little extra time for your gingerbread house project — gluing the walls and roof can take a while. If you call a person your project, pronounced PRAH-jekt, it means you are trying to improve them by telling them how to behave, etc. As a verb, pronounced pro-JEKT, it means to jut out literally — The fireplace projects into the dining room — or figuratively — Try to project your ideas forcefully. If you assume another person is feeling the same things you are, you are projecting your feelings onto them.
Vocabulary lists containing project
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
See Examples For:
Developed by SB Energy, the 10-gigawatt project could cost over $500 billion and would use power controlled by the U.S. government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who Gosling described as the "only" director for the project.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The guarantees from Nvidia would help the ChatGPT maker lease a 10-gigawatt project that SoftBank’s 9434 2.62%increase; green up pointing triangle energy subsidiary is developing in southern Ohio, people familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
A senior Canadian government official said Carney’s announcement about the bridge opening was informed by the project having achieved substantial completion, a final step in the construction process that allowed the span to open.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
At the back of the property, several girls her age seem to be using the wooden stage for a painting project.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
As as young lawyer, Kennedy worked on special projects for Gov. Ronald Reagan and admired him greatly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
The company has pitched privately funded projects in cities including Baltimore, Chicago and Los Angeles, where the startup stood to make money from ticketed passengers using its underground transit system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
When James Duval, a veteran of six Araki projects, often as the director’s stand-in, arrives on-screen it feels like an applause break for fans to cheer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
He has also taken on several new projects, including a podcast, more novels, and a short-lived ITV game show, The Neighbourhood.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“I’m looking forward to helping you with all the interesting school projects you’re always telling me about, Frank,” she said.
From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon
The company recently raised its projected spending on computing power to around $750 billion through 2030, up from a projection of roughly $600 billion earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
As the message was being given to the crowd, the word 'Evacuation' projected onto a large screen on the stage.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
A rosy 2024 report projected the World Cup could bring hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs to the L.A. region as 180,000 people converge on the area to sleep, eat and spend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
In fact, it’s been common in recent years for employers to wind up paying more than they first projected, according to Wardrip.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
My sluggish mind still recalls Nyla’s hologram of the smallest waterfall with the projected target, indicating where they had found the First Arrivers.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
“Obsession” wags its finger at projecting a fantasy onto your crush.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
It was as if she had abstracted herself from scissors and spectators, projecting not so much courage as strength.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Meanwhile, the government is projecting the creation of around 300,000 jobs tied to the energy transition by 2030.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
The Dutch supplier of semiconductor-making equipment is projecting sales between 11 billion and 12 billion euros in the third quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The tiger awoke with a yowl and leaped up, hitting his head on the projecting rock above.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
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.
