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
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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.
See Examples For:
The parliament approved the government's annual budget for 2026 on Friday after a record delay, and shortly before it is expected to receive next year's spending proposal for review.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The immediate proposal is designed to minimise that risk.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The latest proposal would instead add “Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump” to the facade and name the surrounding grounds “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
The folks in nearby Nodaway County have been in an uproar over a proposal to build a data center that would occupy 500 acres.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
It just took sixty years to make his proposal work in practice, and then it worked only if one had one’s feet on solid ground.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Lawmakers are now considering rival proposals for drone investment worth billions of dollars that could be passed as early as this week.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Viewed through that lens, it becomes easier to understand why proposals such as city-run grocery stores and fare-free public transit have gained traction among younger voters, including those who supported New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
But as the deadline looms to prevent insolvency, it’s possible these proposals could become more attractive — or simply more necessary.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The two controversial proposals are among the 14 ballot measures Californians will decide in the Nov. 3 election.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
When the GAC weighed the two proposals, questions of morale and laboratory politics, not scientific merit, came to the fore.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
