supposed

[suh-pohzd, -poh-zid, suh-pohst]

adjective

1. 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.

2. accepted or believed to be so, without certain knowledge.

   This is the supposed site of the ancient temple, based on recent archeological finds.

3. 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

1. the simple past tense and past participle of suppose.

supposed

/ səˈpəʊzd, səˈpəʊzɪdlɪ, -ˈpəʊzɪd /

adjective

1. (prenominal) presumed to be true without certain knowledge

   his supposed date of birth

2. (prenominal) believed to be true on slight grounds; highly doubtful

   the supposed existence of ghosts

3. expected or obliged (to)

   I'm supposed to be there at nine

4. expected or obliged not (to)

   you're not supposed to walk on the grass

Other Word Forms

• supposedly adverb
• nonsupposed adjective
• unsupposed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of supposed¹

First recorded in 1560–70; suppose + -ed ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. supposed to. suppose.

Example Sentences

The world championships were supposed to launch a yearslong effort to expand professional opportunities and raise the sport’s profile.

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How am I supposed to watch golf after this?

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But with the season in the balance—and a paying home audience trying to avoid thinking about the Orioles—you’re not supposed to no-show like Baltimore did.

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That can be by saying something inappropriate directly at a player or yelling when a player is about to hit, when they’re supposed to be afforded quiet.

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You are supposed to fall asleep on the couch, then wake up and wonder if it’s Sunday or Thursday.

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Related Words

• alleged 
• apparent 
• presumed www.thesaurus.com
• purported