project

American  

[proj-ekt, -ikt, pruh-jekt] / ˈprɒdʒ ɛkt, -ɪkt, prəˈdʒɛkt /

noun

• projects
  plural

1. 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

2. 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.

3. a specific task of investigation, especially in scholarship.

   Federal funding supports some cancer-related projects while other research is sustained by private grants.

4. 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.

5. 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.

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verb (used with object)

• projects,
  present (3rd person singular)
• projected,
  past participle,  past
• projecting
  present participle

1. to propose, contemplate, or plan.

   Synonyms:

   devise, plot, scheme, contrive

2. to throw, cast, or impel forward or onward.

3. to set forth or calculate (some future thing).

   They projected the building costs for the next five years.

   Synonyms:

   predict

4. to throw or cause to fall upon a surface or into space, as a ray of light or a shadow.

5. to cause (a figure or image) to appear, as on a background.

6. 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.

7. to cause to jut out or protrude.

8. Geometry.

   1. 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.

   2. to transform the points (of one figure) into those of another by a correspondence between points.

9. to present (an idea, program, etc.) for consideration or action.

   They made every effort to project the notion of world peace.

10. 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.

11. to communicate clearly and forcefully (one's thoughts, personality, role, etc.) to an audience, as in a theatrical performance; produce a compelling image of.

12. to cause (the voice) to appear to come from a source other than oneself, as in ventriloquism; throw.

verb (used without object)

• projects,
  present (3rd person singular)
• projected,
  past participle,  past
• projecting
  present participle

1. to extend or protrude beyond something else.

   Synonyms:

   overhang, obtrude, bulge

2. to use one's voice forcefully enough to be heard at a distance, as in a theater.

3. to produce a clear impression of one's thoughts, personality, role, etc., in an audience; communicate clearly and forcefully.

4. Psychology. to ascribe one's own feelings, thoughts, or attitudes to others.

project British  

noun

1. a proposal, scheme, or design

2. 1. a task requiring considerable or concerted effort, such as one by students

   2. the subject of such a task

3. short for housing project

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verb

1. (tr) to propose or plan

2. (tr) to predict; estimate; extrapolate

   we can project future needs on the basis of the current birth rate

3. (tr) to throw or cast forwards

4. to jut or cause to jut out

5. (tr) to send forth or transport in the imagination

   to project oneself into the future

6. (tr) to cause (an image) to appear on a surface

7. to cause (one's voice) to be heard clearly at a distance

8. psychol

   1. (intr) (esp of a child) to believe that others share one's subjective mental life

   2. to impute to others (one's hidden desires and impulses), esp as a means of defending oneself Compare introject

9. (tr) geometry to draw a projection of

10. (intr) to communicate effectively, esp to a large gathering

Synonym Usage

See plan.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterproject
  noun
• subproject
  noun
• reproject
  verb
• nonprojecting
  adjective
• projectable
  adjective
• unprojected
  adjective
• unprojecting
  adjective
• projectingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• projects
  plural

Participles

• projecting
  present
• projected
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• project
  simple
• projects
  simple
• have projected
  perfect
• has projected
  perfect
• am projecting
  progressive
• are projecting
  progressive
• is projecting
  progressive
• have been projecting
  perfect progressive
• has been projecting
  perfect progressive

Past

• projected
  simple
• had projected
  perfect
• was projecting
  progressive
• were projecting
  progressive
• had been projecting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will project
  simple
• will have projected
  perfect
• will be projecting
  progressive
• will have been projecting
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

project projects projected projecting

“I thought, it would be amazing if I could divide this project by the process of the kitchen.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

CIRI, the landowner, says that it is committed to strong environmental stewardship and that the project could generate large economic benefits for the community.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Prof. Mike Steel, from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and Prof. Daniel Huson from the University of Tübingen brought expertise in analyzing complex networks to the project.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Michael Shanks seemed to suggest that John Swinney knows fine well why this project can't proceed.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

The day started with a half period of what Mrs. Tracy called the “background” part of the project.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

The startup plans to use the capital to boost manufacturing at its West Virginia plant and fund its first wave of commercial projects.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Rideaux followed with a string of solo projects including “Outside,” “Sorry 4 Tha Wait ll” and his 2025 project “Tha Language.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

The question that underwriters will have to assess is what would happen if the AI build-out stalls and projects are delayed or canceled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

About two-thirds of the projects are in Scotland, to support the fast-growing wind energy sector.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Then you compared the results for competing projects or procedures.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Lumentum’s adjusted gross margin came in at 50.4%, exceeding the 48% that analysts had projected.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

With roughly 85 percent of ballots counted on Tuesday night, Graham advanced to a runoff with 33 percent of the vote, against Norman who was projected to finish second at 24 percent.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

A colander or a draining spoon will give you lots of mini-eclipses, with the images projected on to the ground while you stand with your back to the Sun.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Unified was in compliance, saying their budget provides “a detailed, board-approved plan to close its projected deficit, and we welcome a good-faith review of whether that plan is adequate,” they wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 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

People could also watch safely by projecting an image of the sun onto a white card using a telescope, a cereal box pinhole viewer, or even a kitchen colander.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Revenue amounted to $575 million, above the $570 million that analysts tracked by FactSet had been projecting.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

People can also watch safely by projecting an image of the sun onto a white card using a telescope, a cereal box pinhole viewer, or even a kitchen colander.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

The exercise equipment and media company on Thursday set its expectations for fiscal 2027, projecting a decline in revenue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

As he approached, Groundsel backed down the further tunnel and began cleaning his claws on a projecting root.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• activity
• business
• deal
• design
• enterprise
• job
• plan
• program
• proposal
• scheme
• strategy
• task
• venture