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]
-
Required to, as in He is supposed to call home . [Mid-1800s]
-
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.
The U.S. is drawing down gasoline supplies when it’s supposed to be building supplies, getting ready for summer driving season, said Yawger.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
It was supposed to incentivize companies to consider the fate of their products and spur innovation in material redesign.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
But there was supposed to be "a lot of reconciliation" in this tournament, "albeit Germany weren't invited," says Andy Kerr, visitor attraction manager at the Scottish Football Museum.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky countered with a unilateral cease-fire that was supposed to start Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
“Girl, I’m the biggest taxpayer in Sycamore Township and maybe Parke County, and I get the least for my money. Who are you supposed to be?”
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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.
