Proposition Meaning
/ˌpɹɑpəˈzɪʃən/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe act of offering (an idea) for consideration.
nounAn idea, plan, or suggestion offered.
Sentence Examples
All in favor of this proposition will please say Aye.
The bishops were in favor of the proposition.
I'd like to put a business proposition to you.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The salesman presented a new ____ that promised huge savings to the company.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The business ____ was attractive on paper but required significant upfront investment to execute.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English proposicioun, from Old French proposicion, from Latin prōpositiō, from the verb prōponō.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
"And it would be a fine proposition
If I was a stupid girl
But honey, I am no one's exception
This I have previously learned"
— 2012, Taylor Swift, “Girl at Home”, in Red, performed by Taylor Swift:
"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."
— 2023 June 25, HarryBlank, “Transposthumousism”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 31 Dec 2024:
"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."
— 2024 October 15, Samantha Wright, “Idaho Elections: How Prop 1 might change our voting system”, in Boise State Public Radio:
"Our English nouns remain unchanged, whether they form the subject or the object of a proposition."
— c. 1888, The Popular Educator: a Complete Encyclopaedia of Elementary, Advanced, and Technical Education. New and Revised Edition. Volume I., page 98:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The salesman presented a new ____ that promised huge savings to the company.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The business ____ was attractive on paper but required significant upfront investment to execute.