propound
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to suggest or put forward for consideration
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English law
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to produce (a will or similar instrument) to the proper court or authority in order for its validity to be established
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(of an executor) to bring (an action to obtain probate) in solemn form
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of propound
1545–55; later variant of Middle English propone ( see propone) < Latin prōpōnere to set forth, equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + pōnere to put, place, set. See compound 1, expound
Explanation
When you propound an idea, you put it forward. If you tell your teacher that listening to music in class would help students do their work, then you propound the idea that music can be a motivator. The word propound is a little bit formal and often used in reference to something that’s weighty and serious. Beloved by academics of all types, you might hear someone propound, say, his theory of logocentrism in the works of Jacques Derrida. Don’t worry: you don’t need to understand the theory, you just need to understand that propound means he’s putting it out there.
Vocabulary lists containing propound
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
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The Importance of Being Earnest
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The Turn of the Screw
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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.
"And no matter what you may think, Mr. Kennedy. And I revere your name. You're not here to propound your case for censorship," Connolly said.
From Salon • Jul. 20, 2023
“We can’t wait to propound searing questions about the finances of these individuals and these groups.”
From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 2021
Leaders like FDR, JFK, Wałęsa, and Nehru demonstrated that democrats can propound powerful liberal-national narratives.
From Slate • Jul. 3, 2020
In its pursuit of ideological even-handedness and narrative expedience, “Come Sunday” doesn’t always propound or dramatize these questions perfectly.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2018
I was not free from apprehension that he would come back to propound through the gate, “And sixteen?”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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.
