proposal
Americannoun
-
proposals
plural
-
the act of offering or suggesting something for acceptance, adoption, or performance.
- Synonyms:
- recommendation
-
a plan or scheme proposed.
- Synonyms:
- design, suggestion
-
an offer or suggestion of marriage.
noun
-
the act of proposing
-
something proposed, as a plan
-
an offer, esp of marriage
Synonym Usage
Proposal, overture, proposition refer to something in the nature of an offer. A proposal is a plan, a scheme, an offer to be accepted or rejected: to make proposals for peace. An overture is a friendly approach, an opening move (perhaps involving a proposal) tentatively looking toward the settlement of a controversy or else preparing the way for a proposal or the like: to make overtures to an enemy. Proposition, used in mathematics to refer to a formal statement of truth, and often including the proof or demonstration of the statement, has something of this same meaning when used nontechnically (particularly in business). A proposition is a proposal in which the terms are clearly stated and their advantageous nature emphasized: His proposition involved a large discount to the retailer.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of proposal
Explanation
A proposal is an offer. When making a marriage proposal, get down on one knee. When making a business proposal, try to stay off the floor. A proposal is a suggested plan or offer. After overhearing the marriage proposal, everyone in the restaurant watched in silence, waiting to hear your answer. At least you said "yes" to dessert. There are other types of proposals besides marriage offers: "Your proposal that the dollar be replaced by a new currency made of cheese has gained support from the dairy industry."
Vocabulary lists containing proposal
Word Generation Social Studies - Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Engineering - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Guts
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The American Farm Bureau Federation warned Trump’s proposal could cause “long-term damage” to cattle producers, while Republican lawmakers from major cattle states have also pushed back.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
It didn’t publicly address the Pernod Ricard merger talks but did issue a statement in July saying the Sazerac takeover proposal didn’t align with its members’ vision for the company’s future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The owners’ proposal for a salary cap is the central issue in negotiations just now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
On top of that, far from all the engine manufacturers are happy about Ben Sulayem's proposal.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Will she want a marriage proposal inside a black-and-yellow-checkerboard-decorated diner?
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
He has succeeded with reviving other seemingly dead pipeline proposals before, including two natural-gas pipelines in New York last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Reform said its announcement was the first in a series of proposals aimed at reaching 600,000 apprenticeship starts per year by the end of the next Parliament, likely to be 2034.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Interwoven with stories of life during wartime are proposals or instructions, allowing viewers to assess for themselves how much the works in the gallery reflect the artists’ original ideas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
That’s why the Moneyist reader’s two proposals only work together in an ideal world, if at all.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
I got several marriage proposals from cute boys, some of them white, who sent their pictures.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
