proposal
Americannoun
-
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
Related Words
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
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
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Engineering - Introductory
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Guts
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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.
Appeared in the April 9, 2026, print edition as 'A Modest Proposal For Hormuz Toll IPO'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Netflix said it was "declining to match" Paramount's latest offer after the Warner Bros. board declared it a "Superior Proposal" under the terms of its existing merger agreement with Netflix.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
Prison drama Brubaker was a commercial and critical success, and there was a positive reception for popular dramas The Horse Whisperer and Indecent Proposal.
From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025
Proposal 2 would extend an exclusion from the debt limit for sewage projects.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 3, 2023
Look in the back for another thing, A Modest Proposal.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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.
