promote
Americanverb (used with object)
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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:
The company has steadfastly said this deal will promote competition with larger companies such as Netflix and Amazon and be better for consumers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
He used his remission to promote CAR T-cell therapy, which genetically alters one’s cells to fight cancer, after he said chemotherapy stopped working.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
"In an 'M1' state, microphages promote inflammation to fight damage or infection, but prolonged M1 activity can also harm healthy tissue," Subramanian notes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
"The referendum is the cloud over everything," said Corey Hogan, a Liberal MP from Calgary who invited dozens of his colleagues from across the country to this year's stampede to promote unity.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
In 1972, in order to both develop and promote marine archaeology, Bass founded the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, the first organization of its kind in the world.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
The researchers wanted to determine whether ultrasound could encourage these immune cells to transition from an inflammatory state to one that promotes healing.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Mr. Merz hails from the free-market wing of his center-right Christian Democratic party, and his grand vision is of a German economy that promotes work, business growth and job creation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The company promotes them as advertising space for audiences drawn to major sporting events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Entrata has a separate property-management-facing website, RentDynamics.com, that promotes RentPlus as a way for property managers to increase net operating income.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
What is it that promotes an invention’s acceptance by a society?
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
He is the vice president of baseball operations after being promoted in 2024 from vice president of amateur scouting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
These immune cells then released inflammatory signaling molecules, including TNF-α and IFN-γ, which strengthened the immune response and promoted cancer cell death.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
He was promoted to the role of senior team manager just a few months later after Regragui resigned in the aftermath of the senior African Nations Cup debacle.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Instead, as economist Frank Taussig concluded in 1915, it was fueled by “the intelligence and inventiveness of the people; these being promoted again by the breath of freedom and competition in all their affairs.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Instead, their supporters promoted them by delivering speeches around the country.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Asked about Moscow’s deepening ties with Pyongyang, China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing respects “the friendly exchanges” between the two countries and their relationship is “conducive to promoting peace and stability.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
A brilliant cameo from Aniston promoting her new cookbook, with such adventurous epicurean dishes as “boiled hot dogs and peas,” serves as the film’s inciting event.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
The first engagement on Tuesday, promoting the Invictus Games, had then been overshadowed by the result of Prince Harry's court case against Associated Newspapers, where he lost on all his claims of unlawful information gathering.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
"Under no circumstances, however, can this concern serve as a vehicle for promoting views that call for the adoption of lethal and illegal methods against bears, as we recently saw in Western Macedonia," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
And oh yes, we will be getting “little presents” now and then— ballpoint pens, coffee mugs, T-shirts promoting seasonal items.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
