proposition
[prop-uh-zish-uh n]
- the act of offering or suggesting something to be considered, accepted, adopted, or done.
- a plan or scheme proposed.
- an offer of terms for a transaction, as in business.
- a thing, matter, or person considered as something to be dealt with or encountered: Keeping diplomatic channels open is a serious proposition.
- anything stated or affirmed for discussion or illustration.
- Rhetoric. a statement of the subject of an argument or a discourse, or of the course of action or essential idea to be advocated.
- Logic. a statement in which something is affirmed or denied, so that it can therefore be significantly characterized as either true or false.
- Mathematics. a formal statement of either a truth to be demonstrated or an operation to be performed; a theorem or a problem.
- a proposal of usually illicit sexual relations.
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- to propose sexual relations to.
- to propose a plan, deal, etc., to.
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Origin of proposition
1300–50; Middle English proposicio(u)n < Latin prōpositiōn- (stem of prōpositiō) a setting forth. See propositus, -ion
Synonyms
See more synonyms for proposition on Thesaurus.com2. See proposal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for proposition
Contemporary Examples
It stands for the proposition that the biological basis of procreation should also be the sole organizing principle of society.
An HIV scare, Rand Paul talking points, and a (maybe) proposition.
The lack of love likely stems from DeMaio's silence on Proposition 8.
But the proposition had eventually broken apart in the churning, acidic stomach of Washington politics.
I think the proposition is still debatable, or at least still in formation.
Historical Examples
And Mrs. Roberts smiled, and assented to the statement, but not to the proposition.
Ester Ried Yet SpeakingIsabella Alden
Here is my proposition: You choose one of those girls and marry her.
In the Midst of AlarmsRobert Barr
This proposition is one of keen interest in connection with aviation.
Flying MachinesW.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell
This is the proposition which I intended to enforce in the present section.
You say that the one proposition is an inference from the other.
proposition
- a proposal or topic presented for consideration
- philosophy
- the content of a sentence that affirms or denies something and is capable of being true or false
- the meaning of such a sentence: I am warm always expresses the same proposition whoever the speaker isCompare statement (def. 8)
- maths a statement or theorem, usually containing its proof
- informal a person or matter to be dealt withhe's a difficult proposition
- an invitation to engage in sexual intercourse
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- (tr) to propose a plan, deal, etc, to, esp to engage in sexual intercourse
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Word Origin
C14 proposicioun, from Latin prōpositiō a setting forth; see propose
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for proposition
n.
mid-14c., "a setting forth as a topic for discussion," from Old French proposicion "proposal, submission, (philosophical) proposition" (12c.), from Latin propositionem (nominative propositio) "a setting forth, statement, a presentation, representation; fundamental assumption," noun of action from past participle stem of proponere (see propound). Meaning "action of proposing something to be done" is from late 14c. General sense of "matter, problem, undertaking" recorded by 1877. Related: Propositional.
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v.
1914, from proposition (n.); specifically of sexual favors from 1936. Related: Propositioned; propositioning.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper