supposed to
Idioms-
Intended to; also, believed to, expected to. For example, This pill is supposed to relieve your pain , or You're supposed to be my partner . [Early 1300s]
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Required to, as in He is supposed to call home . [Mid-1800s]
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not supposed to . Not permitted to, as in You're not supposed to smoke in here .
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.
They are supposed to follow this company closely.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026
In restorative justice, students are supposed to learn why their actions were inappropriate and, ideally, make amends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
"We left our own country for safety. This is supposed to be a safe place!" she exclaimed.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
Think how bitcoin was supposed to replace dollars as an everyday currency, then became an “uncorrelated asset,” then a “store of value.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
“You want to walk me to the pool? I’m supposed to meet some people.”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
