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.
“It took a few days to clarify that this is going how it’s supposed to go. I’m getting what I want so what do I have to be stressed about?”
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
The mother of Nottingham attacks killer Valdo Calocane has told a public inquiry the system that was supposed to care for him is "so broken".
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Shew said he’s only supposed to be given registrations to process if the would-be voter attests they are a U.S. citizen, as federal law requires.
From Salon • May 14, 2026
The state’s June 9 primary is less than a month away, and early voting is supposed to begin at end of May.
From Slate • May 14, 2026
“Tonight you will enter the beautiful rest of the Afterlife. But it still feels fuzzy which realm that is supposed to be.”
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.
