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

If Spurs are in the Premier League they would be hugely attractive proposition to De Zerbi, but he may well have other options in the summer having been heavily linked with Manchester United.

From BBC

Raising its recommendation to outperform from neutral on the stock’s recent weakness, the investment bank publishes a note highlighting what its analysts call the challenger telco’s compelling value proposition.

From The Wall Street Journal

We approach the proposition with the requisite measure of concern and sensitivity.

From Los Angeles Times

Ostensibly, the proposition appears like a win-win for UK universities facing severe fiscal pressures at home, as well as for Indian students starved of quality education locally.

From BBC

But the uncertainty about when this war will end, and what it will continue to do to oil prices, makes it a dicier proposition to try and time a bottom.

From Barron's

Related Words

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