supposed
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
accepted or believed to be so, without certain knowledge.
This is the supposed site of the ancient temple, based on recent archeological finds.
-
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?
verb
idioms
adjective
-
(prenominal) presumed to be true without certain knowledge
his supposed date of birth
-
(prenominal) believed to be true on slight grounds; highly doubtful
the supposed existence of ghosts
-
expected or obliged (to)
I'm supposed to be there at nine
-
expected or obliged not (to)
you're not supposed to walk on the grass
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of supposed
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.
Vocabulary lists containing supposed
Words That Could Go Either Way: Synonyms for "Maybe"
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Inside Out & Back Again
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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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.
At one point, he complained that Guilfoyle was supposed to be raising money for him but instead was at his club raising money for herself, according to one of the people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
However, its strong recent run pushed its 14-day relative strength index into supposed overbought territory, notes Bluekurtic.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
If hearing the arguments of Shapiro, who acts as a producer, in the mouths of supposed twentysomethings doesn’t give the game away, the baffling characterizations in the film do.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
“I feel like that just came with playing more, and just understanding what I was supposed to do, understanding my role,” Thiero said this week of his progress during the summer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
But Clare supposed, counting back the All Hallows’ Eves he’d spent huddled in his bed with moss stuffed in his good ear, he’d been in Deadwood for at least four years.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
