proposition
Americannoun
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the act of offering or suggesting something to be considered, accepted, adopted, or done.
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a plan or scheme proposed.
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an offer of terms for a transaction, as in business.
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a thing, matter, or person considered as something to be dealt with or encountered.
Keeping diplomatic channels open is a serious proposition.
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anything stated or affirmed for discussion or illustration.
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Rhetoric. a statement of the subject of an argument or a discourse, or of the course of action or essential idea to be advocated.
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Logic. a statement in which something is affirmed or denied, so that it can therefore be significantly characterized as either true or false.
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Mathematics. a formal statement of either a truth to be demonstrated or an operation to be performed; a theorem or a problem.
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a proposal of usually illicit sexual relations.
verb (used with object)
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to propose sexual relations to.
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to propose a plan, deal, etc., to.
noun
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a proposal or topic presented for consideration
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philosophy
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the content of a sentence that affirms or denies something and is capable of being true or false
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the meaning of such a sentence: I am warm always expresses the same proposition whoever the speaker is Compare statement
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maths a statement or theorem, usually containing its proof
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informal a person or matter to be dealt with
he's a difficult proposition
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an invitation to engage in sexual intercourse
verb
Synonym Usage
See proposal.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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propositionsimple
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propositionssimple
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have propositionedperfect
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has propositionedperfect
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am propositioningprogressive
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are propositioningprogressive
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is propositioningprogressive
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have been propositioningperfect progressive
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has been propositioningperfect progressive
Past
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propositionedsimple
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had propositionedperfect
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was propositioningprogressive
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were propositioningprogressive
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had been propositioningperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
A proposition is a proposed plan of action, a detailed suggestion. You might consider your friend's suggestion to set up a neighborhood snow-shoveling business after the blizzard a winning proposition. The noun proposition means something presented for consideration. In some contexts, that something being offered is sexual. Therefore, don't use the term proposition loosely. If you say that you made a proposition to your teacher, people could misinterpret you. It's safer to stick with suggestion.
Vocabulary lists containing proposition
Power Prefix: pro
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Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" (1863)
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
The value proposition of smart glasses remains unclear, according to some experts.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026
County lawyers have long viewed the $4-billion settlement as a good deal, arguing that taking the cases to trial would be a bankrupting proposition.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
That’s an intriguing proposition, but the first two seasons fell a bit flat.
From Slate • Jun. 22, 2026
Syria had dominated its neighbour for decades following its military intervention in Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, withdrawing only in 2005, making any new military involvement a fraught proposition.
From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026
It was an easy step to the proposition: as a clockmaker or millwright is to a clock or mill, so is God to Nature.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
