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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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.
Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb seems to take great delight in insulting you, especially after the politician River was supposed to protect gets hit on the head by a pot of paint and dies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
This was supposed to be the year that U.S. home-improvement spending finally recovered from its hangover.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He also said the actual ventilation rates showed a "deficiency" in the design as the system was not able to achieve the rate it was supposed to.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
This is the job bonds are supposed to do: zig when equities zag.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
When she swam in the lake and tried to hold her breath, she felt the same kind of nervousness that she felt when she was supposed to have read her poem.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
