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:
Is the brokerage adviser conflicted and are they just going to try to promote their own products?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
"Patients and their healthcare providers should consider this finding as part of broader efforts to promote healthier dietary choices."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
The superyacht referenced is not owned by the Tates and they were paid to promote it, the submission says.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
"She always believed in giving back, especially in her efforts to promote literacy," said Democratic former president Bill Clinton.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
“I thought you should have a logo to promote your business. Stephanie gave me the idea,” I admit.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Greenwood also points to how Scotland is changing how it promotes itself.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
"This promotes production of the metabolite N1-acetylspermidine, which contributes to the ability of butyrate-treated IEC-conditioned medium to induce IL-10 production in CD4⁺ T-cells."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
In a clip on his personal TikTok, Burnham, thanks to clever editing, appears to toss up a mortarboard hat and catch a builder's helmet, as he promotes technical education.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
In discussions with peers, he has likened the proposed entity to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a nongovernmental watchdog that promotes cooperation on nuclear energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 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
He looked sharp against newly promoted Coventry on Friday, giving full-back Jay Dasilva a torrid time while scoring the second goal in the 3-0 win.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Defending champions Arsenal made an impressive start to the season against newly promoted Coventry but face a tougher test against Aston Villa on Monday.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
If that happens, No. 5 is promoted to the ballot instead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
In July, OpenAI promoted Uday Ruddarraju to chief technology officer of computing capacity, reporting to Brockman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
But then I remember that I have been promoted to a day shift.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
In her new role as crown princess, she took up popular causes including support for people with HIV and promoting literacy.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Here, too, Dolly offered her region a tacit challenge by promoting the education reading can provide and, just as importantly, the empathy it can unlock.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
If A.I. companies got into certain commercial models, they could start promoting sponsored results, such as pseudoscientific cures.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
The question isn’t what she did with the job but what the people promoting her were reading.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
But people felt plunging into the ocean was good for the body, promoting good circulation and overall health.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
