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.
In fact, there’s only one surprising aspect to the havoc Wembanyama is now unleashing on the NBA: It wasn’t supposed to happen quite so soon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
“A novel is not supposed to be a documentary.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
"When you go home, that is supposed to be the place that you feel safe, and I've lost that completely," she explained.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Amazon was supposed to have some 1,600 satellites in orbit by July 2026, according to its license with the Federal Communications Commission.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
I’m supposed to do eleven miles this weekend—the longest run before the race!
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
