suppose

verb

sup·​pose sə-ˈpōz 

 usually after "I"  ˈspōz

supposed; supposing

transitive verb

1

a

: to lay down tentatively as a hypothesis, assumption, or proposal

suppose a fire broke out

suppose you bring the salad

b(1)

: to hold as an opinion : believe

they supposed they were early

(2)

: to think probable or in keeping with the facts

seems reasonable to suppose that he would profit

2

a

: conceive, imagine

b

: to have a suspicion of

3

: presuppose

intransitive verb

: conjecture, opine

Synonyms

• calculate
• call
• conjecture
• estimate
• figure
• gauge
• gage
• guess
• judge
• make
• place
• put
• reckon

Examples of suppose in a Sentence

Suppose a fire broke out. How would we escape?

Just suppose for a moment that you agreed with me.

Supposing he refuses to help, what do we do then?

The renovations will cost much more than we originally supposed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Can all the states purge the dead people, the people that aren’t supposed to vote? —Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024

According to a criminal complaint, the caller said he was involved in a marijuana purchase, and maintained the buyer wasn't supposed to bring anyone one else to the deal. —Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 19 Oct. 2024

Because unless it’s oddly shaped for artsy aesthetic purposes, most flatware does exactly what it’s supposed to do: Transport food from a plate or bowl to your mouth. —Emily Farris, Bon Appétit, 18 Oct. 2024

Qualcomm has canceled its Snapdragon Dev Kit, the miniature Windows on Arm PC that was originally supposed to ship in June. —Tom Warren, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French supposer, from Medieval Latin supponere (perfect indicative supposui), from Latin, to put under, substitute, from sub- + ponere to put — more at position

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing suppose

• I don't suppose

Kids Definition

suppose

verb

sup·​pose sə-ˈpōz 

supposed; supposing

1

: to take as true or as a fact for the sake of argument

suppose a fire should break out

2

: to hold as an opinion : believe

they supposed they were on the right bus

3

: to come to a conclusion arrived at by guessing

who do you suppose will win