supposed to

Idioms

Intended to; also, believed to, expected to. For example, This pill is supposed to relieve your pain , or You're supposed to be my partner . [Early 1300s]
Required to, as in He is supposed to call home . [Mid-1800s]
not supposed to . Not permitted to, as in You're not supposed to smoke in here .

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.

In fact, there’s only one surprising aspect to the havoc Wembanyama is now unleashing on the NBA: It wasn’t supposed to happen quite so soon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

“I have to ask, how is that acceptable? How is one teacher supposed to meet the needs of 25 students?”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

LIV Golf was supposed to be the breakaway tour that changed golf as we know it.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Amazon was supposed to have some 1,600 satellites in orbit by July 2026, according to its license with the Federal Communications Commission.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Suddenly, as if one body, the bison turned and stared across the field of big bluestem—the way she was supposed to go, according to her fickle map app.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023