promote

American  

[pruh-moht] / prəˈmoʊt /

verb (used with object)

promoted, promoting

1. to help or encourage to exist or flourish; further.

   to promote world peace.

   Synonyms:

   support, help, assist, advance, forward, back, abet

   Antonyms:

   obstruct, discourage

2. to advance in rank, dignity, position, etc. (demote ).

   Synonyms:

   exalt, raise, elevate

   Antonyms:

   abase, degrade, demote

3. Education. to put ahead to the next higher stage or grade of a course or series of classes.

4. to aid in organizing (business undertakings).

5. to encourage the sales, acceptance, etc., of (a product), especially through advertising or other publicity.

6. Informal. to obtain (something) by cunning or trickery; wangle.

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promote British  

/ prəˈməʊt /

verb

1. to further or encourage the progress or existence of

2. to raise to a higher rank, status, degree, etc

3. to advance (a pupil or student) to a higher course, class, etc

4. to urge the adoption of; work for

   to promote reform

5. to encourage the sale of (a product) by advertising or securing financial support

6. chess to exchange (a pawn) for any piece other than a king when the pawn reaches the 8th rank

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Other Word Forms

• prepromote verb (used with object)
• promotability noun
• promotable adjective
• promotion noun
• promotional adjective
• self-promoting adjective
• unpromotable adjective
• unpromoted adjective

Etymology

Origin of promote

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English promoten, from Latin prōmōtus, past participle of prōmovēre “to move forward, advance”; 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.

Example Sentences

To promote international peace, he knocked down bureaucratic hurdles and cooled cultural clashes to herd a team of Russian, Chinese and American climbers to the summit of Everest in 1990.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The party said it would introduce plans to "empower local authorities to promote safety, learning and student wellbeing by restricting the use of smartphones in schools for under-16s" with "reasonable and relevant exemptions".

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

“We actively promote diversity to change the narrative of what it means to be at Coachella.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Meanwhile, the U.S.’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz probably means that the U.S. will “attempt to promote safe passage of vessels” by removing mines and providing naval escorts, according to Wizman.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

If patent rights, capitalism, and certain religions do promote technology, what selected for those factors in postmedieval Europe but not in contemporary China or India?

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• advance
• advertise
• advocate
• benefit
• bolster
• boost
• build up
• cooperate
• develop
• encourage
• endorse
• further
• improve
• popularize
• publicize
• push
• push for
• sell
• soft sell
• speed