promote
Americanverb (used with object)
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promotes,
present (3rd person singular)
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promoted,
past participle, past
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promoting
present participle
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to help or encourage to exist or flourish; further.
to promote world peace.
- Antonyms:
- obstruct, discourage
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to advance in rank, dignity, position, etc. (opposed to demote).
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Education. to put ahead to the next higher stage or grade of a course or series of classes.
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to aid in organizing (business undertakings).
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to encourage the sales, acceptance, etc., of (a product), especially through advertising or other publicity.
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Informal. to obtain (something) by cunning or trickery; wangle.
verb
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to further or encourage the progress or existence of
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to raise to a higher rank, status, degree, etc
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to advance (a pupil or student) to a higher course, class, etc
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to urge the adoption of; work for
to promote reform
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to encourage the sale of (a product) by advertising or securing financial support
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chess to exchange (a pawn) for any piece other than a king when the pawn reaches the 8th rank
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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promotabilitynoun
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promotionnoun
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prepromoteverb (used with object)
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promotableadjective
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promotionaladjective
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self-promotingadjective
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unpromotableadjective
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unpromotedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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promotesimple
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promotessimple
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have promotedperfect
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has promotedperfect
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am promotingprogressive
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are promotingprogressive
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is promotingprogressive
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have been promotingperfect progressive
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has been promotingperfect progressive
Past
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promotedsimple
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had promotedperfect
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was promotingprogressive
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were promotingprogressive
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had been promotingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of promote
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English promoten, from Latin prōmōtus, past participle of prōmovēre “to move forward, advance”; see pro- 1, motive
Explanation
If you work for a marketing firm, your job is to promote new products — to publicize them and to try to get the public to buy them. The verb promote can also mean to advance to a higher position. Because of your hard work, your boss might decide to promote you. In school, passing students are promoted each year when they enter a higher grade. In chess, the verb promote is used when a pawn is exchanged for a higher ranking piece. Make sure you promote your pawn to a queen, giving you two queens on the board and a strong advantage in the game.
Vocabulary lists containing promote
Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787)
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Words for Father's Day: What Fathers Do
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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.
See Examples For:
El Nino, a natural climate pattern when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, tends to promote hurricane activity in the Pacific while suppressing it in the Atlantic.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
By influencing these receptors, the drugs can reduce food intake, promote weight loss, and help regulate blood sugar.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
The young entrepreneurs branded their “Hot Girl Pickles” to resonate with Gen Z shoppers, with eye-catching packaging, strong social media presence and even a college ambassador program to promote their products on university campuses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
I’m referring to how our moods sour as summer comes to an end and coffee chains promote the gourd-flavored beverages.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
They wanted someone they were certain would always promote Soviet ideals above her own.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
Yousef, whose community strongly promotes gender equality, said she also wants to work on "defending women's rights and enshrining them in the country's constitution".
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Ember, which promotes renewable energy, takes its data from the EIA’s monthly power reports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Among the priority areas Kratsios promotes for this new funding model are AI, quantum computing and robotics.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
A TikTok spokesperson said at the time: "We strictly prohibit content that promotes or encourages dangerous behaviour."
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
“This unassuming style promotes study, that’s why we adopt it,” returned Laurie, who certainly could not be accused of vanity, having voluntarily sacrificed a handsome curly crop to the demand for quarter-inch-long stubble.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
The French government had promoted the ban as a way to better protect young people from the harmful effects associated with social media platforms, including anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and online harassment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
George Burley's Ipswich ended the 2000-01 campaign fifth with 66 points - the highest finish and most points any promoted side has achieved in a 38-game season.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Castro promoted guerrilla movements throughout Latin America and leveraged his alliance with the Soviet Union to send tens of thousands of Cuban soldiers into Africa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Bumble had long promoted itself as a platform where women "make the first move"
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
His rites had gone so well that, immediately after his initiation, he’d been promoted to a kapteni, a captain, despite his youth.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
She also publicly came out as bisexual while promoting the book.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
Everyone promoting anything wants to claim that their product made history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
He also oversaw the privatisation of urban housing, scrapping welfare for millions of urban workers and promoting home ownership.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Spotify said it will start labeling AI-generated artists and avoid promoting them in its algorithmic recommendations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
I cared more that he had helped found the League of Nations, promoting freedom around the world, than the fact that he had repressed freedom at home.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
