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:
Broadcast deals “that do not promote the public interest” will be denied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
He was wrong to promote vitamin C tablets as a powerful cure for cancer.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Over the years, it’s become customary for major musicians to release several vinyl variants to help promote their latest album.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Kelly continued to promote classical dancing in popular culture, producing a television special, “Dancing: A Man’s Game,” in 1958; he choreographed “Pas de Dieux” for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1960.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Also, it helped Lydia promote Dearly’s music on her blog—so that she didn’t look like she was plugging her own boyfriend.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
Yousef, whose community strongly promotes gender equality, said she also wants to work on "defending women's rights and enshrining them in the country's constitution".
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Ember, which promotes renewable energy, takes its data from the EIA’s monthly power reports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Among the priority areas Kratsios promotes for this new funding model are AI, quantum computing and robotics.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
The organisation is a literary society that promotes the Bard's work through education and connections between Burns Clubs.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 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
Former CMO Jackie Jantos was promoted to the top job, and her longtime senior vice president of global communications, Tamika Young, was named chief marketing and communications officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Hilton and his family moved to California in 2012 after his wife, Rachel Whetstone, was promoted to lead global communications at Google.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The success of Sunderland and Leeds last season demonstrated that for promoted teams to thrive, finding value in the transfer market is essential.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The tie between Dagenham & Redbridge, then in League Two, and a Brentford side recently promoted to the Championship may not have looked the most interesting on paper, but it certainly delivered a gripping match.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
In June, she was promoted and became a flight commander.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
The billboard and the man inside it were promoting “The Last House,” a Netflix film that premiered on the streaming platform on Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Wendy’s made a name for itself by promoting an elevated form of fast food, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
"She wanted to raise awareness for rare cancers and was passionate about promoting self-advocacy. We will continue her legacy and honour her in every way we can."
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
However, she did post pictures in her Meta glasses collaboration while promoting another collaboration, with Frankies Bikinis.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
CBS didn’t even bother promoting All in the Family before its first season.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
