suppose
Americanverb (used with object)
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supposes,
present (3rd person singular)
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supposed,
past participle, past
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supposing
present participle
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to assume (something) for the sake of argument, as part of a proposition or theory, a problem set to be solved as an exercise, etc..
If we suppose the distance to be one mile, and his jogging speed to be six miles per hour, how long will it take him to cover the distance?
OK, let's suppose we can get through their defenses—what then?
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to consider (something) as a suggested possibility or proposed plan.
Suppose we wait until tomorrow, after the weather clears up.
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to believe or presume to be true; take for granted.
Most people supposed that his death was an accident.
Will you go on forever supposing that you can act this way without consequences?
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to think or hold tentatively as an opinion; guess; imagine.
What do you suppose he will do?
I don’t suppose they’d lend us their truck, would they?
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to require logically; imply; presuppose.
The evidence supposes his presence near the scene.
verb (used without object)
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supposes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
supposed,
past participle, past
-
supposing
present participle
idioms
verb
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to presume (something) to be true without certain knowledge
I suppose he meant to kill her
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to consider as a possible suggestion for the sake of discussion, elucidation, etc; postulate
suppose that he wins the election
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(of theories, propositions, etc) to imply the inference or assumption (of)
your policy supposes full employment
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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supposesimple
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supposessimple
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have supposedperfect
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has supposedperfect
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am supposingprogressive
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are supposingprogressive
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is supposingprogressive
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have been supposingperfect progressive
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has been supposingperfect progressive
Past
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supposedsimple
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had supposedperfect
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was supposingprogressive
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were supposingprogressive
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had been supposingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of suppose
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English supposen, from Old French supposer, from sup- sup- + poser “to place, put” ( see pose 1); compare Medieval Latin suppōnere “to suppose” (in Latin: “to substitute, place below”)
Explanation
If you suppose you want to see that new horror movie, you may not be too sure. Suppose means to guess, think, or imagine something without absolute certainty. Best to hold off and watch something funny instead. Suppose also has the meaning of assuming something hypothetical for the sake of argument. You might ask, "Suppose someone breaks in while I'm away?" Suppose also has the more technical (and often legal) sense of something you must take for granted if some other condition is to happen. Your theory might suppose the victim was home by 8:00. In this last sense, suppose introduces something that's a precondition.
Vocabulary lists containing suppose
Think Tank: Thought-Provoking Vocabulary
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A Farewell To Arms
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"Journeys," Vocabulary from Lesson 28
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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:
It’s hard to articulate exactly what Woke 1 is or, I suppose, was.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
So suppose AI delivers a modest 1% increase in U.S. life expectancy through better diagnosis and treatment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
I suppose when he proves he can carry his own movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
"If the water services do improve, then I suppose we have to pay for what we have."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
“Right. Yes, of course. I suppose this Kohlrabi King is the person we’re after.”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
The Romans of the Empire had much to be proud of, one supposes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
“Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s newest film, supposes that music has the power to conjure spirits past, present and evil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2025
Big scientific discoveries tend to attract myths which supposes their creation to have occurred "at one moment by one person", but the overarching research "tends to need collaboration across national boundaries," he added.
From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2025
The pathway for law students supposes that law schools will be involved in some level, Rooksby said.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2024
And it was during those same weeks that those entirely untypical incidents took place at Darlington Hall which must, one supposes, have provided what flimsy basis exists for these absurd allegations.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb seems to take great delight in insulting you, especially after the politician River was supposed to protect gets hit on the head by a pot of paint and dies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Opposition lawmakers agreed to cut this year's budget by NT$48 billion, or around 1.6 percent, nearly eight months after the government's spending plan was supposed to be approved.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Her bar is directly across the street from the field where the data center is supposed to go, and she wants her staff comfortable with 6 a.m. shifts if the construction crews start showing up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
He also said the actual ventilation rates showed a "deficiency" in the design as the system was not able to achieve the rate it was supposed to.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
“Where have you been? You’re supposed to be upstairs.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
“I would be a little leery of supposing that it’s a gaming of the system in order to get some unfair advantage,” Vaughn said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
But just supposing the Lords backed down and the plan became law, there is no guarantee we will see a flight take off.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2024
And they said, “Look, supposing you were to report on a murder in Oakland with a voice like that. Stuart, you’ve got no credibility,” and that was that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2023
After being asked if he knew why he had been stopped, the driver responded, “Yeah, because I was on the wrong side of the road,” further supposing that he must have missed an exit.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 2, 2023
It was bad enough to hear Big Ma supposing out loud every kind of selfish trouble Cecile was tangled up in.
From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
