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:
He created The Mitte Foundation as well, to support philanthropic efforts and community initiatives, using his platform "to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for people with disabilities", Reilly said.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf also stressed the urgent need to "address the root causes of irregular migration, combat migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, and promote safe, orderly and regular migration".
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
To investigate the possible health effects of polyethylene, Joshi and his colleagues examined whether exposure to this common plastic could promote fatty liver disease.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Lidegaard and his Nordic counterparts just announced a Nordic Growth Alliance to promote cooperation in sectors such as quantum technology, data centers and space, while reducing red tape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Stanton went, hoping to promote unity within the movement, but things had already gone too far.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
The office “takes seriously its responsibility to protect public funds and hold itself to the standards of accountability it promotes across state government,” the spokesperson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
This topic has become a subject for conversation in recent days following an interview Horner did with the Times, external as he promotes his new book.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
While the climate disturbance promotes cyclones in the Pacific, it can stifle them in the North Atlantic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
It is the deal that counts, not the values it promotes or undermines.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
Trey thinks social media promotes insecurity and doesn’t use it much.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Coventry's previous home games had seen them fall to a 1-0 defeat by fellow promoted side Hull before a 5-0 thumping by Brighton.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Rich in nutrients and valued for their versatility, they are often promoted as an example of the "food is medicine" concept, which emphasizes the role of nutritious foods in supporting good health.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The vendor was run by Zanjani’s sister, and Zanjani had promoted it online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The Wellness Company brand promoted in many of the videos saw a subsequent spike in online searches, according to Google Trends data.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Not long before my wedding, she’d been promoted to the role of commissioner in charge of planning and economic development for the city and had offered me a job as an assistant commissioner.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Ministers said they would work with industry to "develop a regulatory regime for the heating oil market, protecting consumers and promoting competition".
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” singer has experienced broken ribs because of the spasms, she told Hoda Kotb on “Today” in 2024 while promoting the documentary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
But multiple experts say influencers promoting cortisol testing are looking at the problem backward.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
We have begun hosting educational workshops promoting organ donation in memory of an alumnus who was killed—and whose organs have been transplanted in five others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Most of them involved an expert, or a gang of experts, promoting false information or hiding true information; in each case the experts were trying to keep the information asymmetry as asymmetrical as possible.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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.
