supposed

American  

[suh-pohzd, -poh-zid, suh-pohst] / səˈpoʊzd, -ˈpoʊ zɪd, səˈpoʊst /

adjective

1. merely thought or alleged to be such, on a very questionable basis; imagined.

   When one tries to understand more about these supposed gains, they turn out to be nothing more than clever rhetoric.

2. accepted or believed to be so, without certain knowledge.

   This is the supposed site of the ancient temple, based on recent archeological finds.

3. assumed for the sake of argument; hypothetical.

   Given a supposed scenario where you see two students fighting in the schoolyard, how do you handle it?

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of suppose.

idioms

1. supposed to. suppose.

supposed British  

/ səˈpəʊzd, səˈpəʊzɪdlɪ, -ˈpəʊzɪd /

adjective

1. (prenominal) presumed to be true without certain knowledge

   his supposed date of birth

2. (prenominal) believed to be true on slight grounds; highly doubtful

   the supposed existence of ghosts

3. expected or obliged (to)

   I'm supposed to be there at nine

4. expected or obliged not (to)

   you're not supposed to walk on the grass

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Other Word Forms

• nonsupposed adjective
• supposedly adverb
• unsupposed adjective

Etymology

Origin of supposed

First recorded in 1560–70; suppose + -ed ²

Explanation

If you are supposed to do something, it means that you'd better get to it. If you're supposed to go to your grandma's house for dinner, then your grandmother expects you. Something that's required is supposed, and something that's assumed to be true — even if it's really not — is also supposed. If you describe someone as your brother's supposed best friend, it means that everyone thinks of him as a good pal, but maybe he's not as loyal as they believe him to be. If higher taxes result in supposed improvements in your city's schools, things may be better, but there's still some doubt about it.

Example Sentences

The heat shield is made of a material called Avcoat that is supposed to melt away during re-entry,

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

This supposed deal would have foreign official holders of Treasuries exchange them for new, superlong obligations with low or no interest.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

"What was supposed to be a moment of celebration was diminished and overshadowed," the organisation said.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Habeas was once supposed to provide a federal backstop when state courts failed.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Nor indeed what one was supposed to accomplish if one got up.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• alleged
• apparent
• presumed
• purported