proponent
Americannoun
-
proponents
plural
-
a person who puts forward a proposition or proposal.
-
a person who argues in favor of something; an advocate.
- Synonyms:
- enthusiast, champion, supporter
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a person who supports a cause or doctrine; adherent.
- Synonyms:
- enthusiast, champion, supporter
-
a person who propounds a legal instrument, such as a will for probate.
noun
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a person who argues in favour of something
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law a person who seeks probate of a will
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of proponent
First recorded in 1580–90, proponent is from the Latin word prōpōnent- (stem of prōpōnēns ). See propone, -ent
Explanation
Proponent means someone who is in favor of something. You might be a proponent of longer vacations, but your parents are proponents of a longer school year. If you’re in favor of long school vacations, you’re pro or "for" long vacations. The prefix pro- also carries the meaning of “forward,” “ahead,” or “before.” All of these senses are at work in proponent: someone who suggests (puts forward) an idea or who is in favor of an idea. A proponent proposes an idea or advocates for a proposal or a proposition.
Vocabulary lists containing proponent
Power Prefix: pro
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Grade 9, List 4
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Vocabulary from the Third and Final Presidential Debate, October 19, 2016
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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:
“However, as a proponent of innovation and recognizing that the industry at large has fallen behind the times in so many respects, I applaud the innovation of Churchill Downs Inc. and NYRA.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
President Trump has long been a proponent of the idea.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Salazar, who led Oregon’s state housing agency during the COVID-19 pandemic and later worked as a regional director for HUD, is a longtime proponent of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Guardiola has always been a proponent of dominating possession.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
He was a staunch proponent of academic freedom and highly critical of Nazi Germany and Japanese militarism.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Many of its proponents wouldn’t know the history and many wouldn’t care: Our version will be better.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The downturn has been rough for even some of the space industry’s biggest proponents.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
And they’ve gotten smarter than the used-gum, spit-cup abstinence proponents of my youth.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Inverter systems can cost thousands of dollars -- not dissimilar to petrol generators depending on the size -- but proponents say running costs are lower in the long run.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
The proponents of hunger strikes argued that it was a traditionally accepted form of protest that had been waged all over the world by such prominent leaders as Mahatma Gandhi.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
