proposition

American  

[prop-uh-zish-uhn] / ˌprɒp əˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

1. the act of offering or suggesting something to be considered, accepted, adopted, or done.

2. a plan or scheme proposed.

3. an offer of terms for a transaction, as in business.

4. a thing, matter, or person considered as something to be dealt with or encountered.

   Keeping diplomatic channels open is a serious proposition.

5. anything stated or affirmed for discussion or illustration.

6. Rhetoric. a statement of the subject of an argument or a discourse, or of the course of action or essential idea to be advocated.

7. Logic. a statement in which something is affirmed or denied, so that it can therefore be significantly characterized as either true or false.

8. Mathematics. a formal statement of either a truth to be demonstrated or an operation to be performed; a theorem or a problem.

9. a proposal of usually illicit sexual relations.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to propose sexual relations to.

2. to propose a plan, deal, etc., to.

proposition British  

/ ˌprɒpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. a proposal or topic presented for consideration

2. philosophy

   1. the content of a sentence that affirms or denies something and is capable of being true or false

   2. the meaning of such a sentence: I am warm always expresses the same proposition whoever the speaker is Compare statement

3. maths a statement or theorem, usually containing its proof

4. informal a person or matter to be dealt with

   he's a difficult proposition

5. an invitation to engage in sexual intercourse

---

verb

1. (tr) to propose a plan, deal, etc, to, esp to engage in sexual intercourse

Related Words

See proposal.

Other Word Forms

• propositional adjective
• propositionally adverb
• underproposition noun

Etymology

Origin of proposition

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English proposicio(u)n, from Latin prōpositiōn- (stem of prōpositiō ) “a setting forth.” See propositus, -ion

Example Sentences

For many consumers, celebrating Easter has become an increasingly expensive proposition.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

Ultimately, though, Galsworthy’s question is much simpler than such a heady proposition.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

That has become more of a value proposition for travelers as Transportation Security Administration staff members have been working without a paycheck and hundreds of them have called in sick.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

“Gold offers a compelling proposition for investors focused on wealth preservation and intergenerational resilience. We view the recent pullback as an opportunity to adjust strategic exposure and tactically position for a recovery,” he added.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

I regarded the proposition with neither objection nor enthusiasm.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• hypothesis
• invitation
• motion
• premise
• proposal
• recommendation