What does "proposition" mean?
The act of offering (an idea) for consideration.
Proposition
/ˌpɹɑpəˈzɪʃən/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of offering (an idea) for consideration.
- Grammar: proposition is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: proposal, suggestion, statement, a priori principle.
- Useful contrasts: denial, form, propositional function.
- Usage evidence: All in favor of this proposition will please say Aye.
How to use "proposition"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "proposition" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "proposition" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "proposition" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "proposition" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "proposition" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "proposal" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "proposition", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of offering (an idea) for consideration. uncountable
- 2 a task to be dealt with wordnet
- 3 An idea, plan, or suggestion offered. countable
"The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained."
- 4 (logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false wordnet
- 5 An idea, plan, or suggestion offered.; A suggestion of sexual intercourse (made to someone with whom one is not sexually involved). countable, informal, uncountable
"Quinn looked into the intersection. Tonya was standing in the middle of it, stance wide, taser in both hands, Quinn's rickshaw on the sidewalk behind her. "Ow," said Quinn, and it came out just shy of a proposition."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 the act of making a proposal wordnet
- 7 The terms of a transaction offered. countable
- 8 an offer for a private bargain (especially a request for sexual favors) wordnet
- 9 In some states, a proposed statute or constitutional amendment to be voted on by the electorate. US, countable
"In November, though, voters will be faced with proposition one. It's a citizen's initiative that will do two things. If passed, it would open up all primaries in Idaho, and it would create a new voting system known as ranked choice voting."
- 10 a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection wordnet
- 11 A complete sentence. countable, uncountable
"Our English nouns remain unchanged, whether they form the subject or the object of a proposition."
- 12 The content of an assertion that may be taken as being true or false and is considered abstractly without reference to the linguistic sentence that constitutes the assertion; (Aristotelian logic) a predicate of a subject that is denied or affirmed and is connected by a copula. countable
"“Wiktionary is a good dictionary” is a proposition."
- 13 An assertion so formulated that it can be considered true or false. countable
- 14 An assertion which is provably true, but not important enough to be called a theorem. countable
- 15 A statement of religious doctrine; an article of faith; a creed. countable, uncountable
"the propositions of Wyclif and Huss"
- 16 The part of a poem in which the author states the subject or matter of it. countable, poetic, uncountable
- 17 Misspelling of preposition. alt-of, countable, misspelling, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To make an offer or suggestion to (someone). informal, transitive
"The Superintendent of the facility tried to proposition with me that if I snitched to the guards and would work with him, then he would put my friend and me back together again."
- 2 suggest sex to wordnet
- 3 To make an offer or suggestion to (someone).; To make a suggestion of sexual intercourse to (someone with whom one is not sexually involved). informal, transitive
"Yiannopoulos started releasing video interviews and other evidence meant to prove that [Ali] Alexander sexually propositioned both adult men in their 20s and at least two teenagers."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"All in favor of this proposition will please say Aye."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "proposition"?
Common synonyms include: proposal, suggestion, statement, a priori principle, a priori truth, accost.
How do you use "proposition" in a sentence?
All in favor of this proposition will please say Aye.
How do you pronounce "proposition"?
Pronounced /ˌpɹɑpəˈzɪʃən/.
Etymology
From Middle English proposicioun, from Old French proposicion, from Latin prōpositiō, from the verb prōponō.