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:
Held every two to three years, the festival aims to promote LGBTQ+ visibility and rights internationally.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
“Everybody uses AI to some degree,” said Brendan Gahan, co-founder and chief executive officer of Creator Authority, a firm that helps businesses and influencers promote themselves on LinkedIn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Officials created the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District in 1975 to regulate groundwater use, encourage alternative water sources, and promote water conservation.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
As exports plummet owing to a ban on U.S. wine and liquor, California lawmakers ask Quebec’s premier to sidestep the president, lift the prohibition and promote free trade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Contrary to Rousseau, such amalgamations never occur by a process of unthreatened little societies freely deciding to merge, in order to promote the happiness of their citizens.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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
“That calls for public policy that promotes innovation while also incentivising responsibility and security, fosters international collaboration on key safety issues, and encourages careful consideration of how AI is deployed for the benefit of society.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Joint music making promotes prosocial behavior in 4-year-old children.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
But Cohen was alarmed to learn that his discovery was now being promoted by legions of longevity seekers, fitness enthusiasts and wellness influencers as “exercise in a bottle.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
When I purchased a copy of Evie’s print magazine in May, I was alarmed at how the magazine not only promoted radical skinniness but also discouraged women from healthy habits like exercise.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
The 93-year-old president appointed officials to key positions within the army and promoted five colonels to the rank of brigadier general.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Mattel promoted Chief Brand Officer Roberto Stanichi to president and chief marketing and brand officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Mentally, he had already promoted him to second-in-command.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Viewers were shocked by the price tag for a 5-year-old, accusing the post of promoting excessive consumerism.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Pointing to a decade of work promoting football worldwide - and in particular his support of African nations - the federation stressed that the episode should not overshadow Infantino's wider record.
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
Ariana Grande is finally set to take a break from the public eye, after years of promoting her two “Wicked” films, releasing new music, launching her latest tour and facing mounting scrutiny over her appearance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
A go-getter might have dreamt up clever ways of promoting the two unpopular titles, but I have no mind for business and considered staying awake to be enough of an accomplishment.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
