project

noun

proj·ect | \ ˈprä-ˌjekt

, -jikt also ˈprō-\

Definition of project

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a specific plan or design : scheme

2 obsolete : idea

3 : a planned undertaking: such as

a : a definitely formulated piece of research

b : a large usually government-supported undertaking

c : a task or problem engaged in usually by a group of students to supplement and apply classroom studies

4 : a usually public housing development consisting of houses or apartments built and arranged according to a single plan

project

verb

pro·ject | \ prə-ˈjekt

projected; projecting; projects

Definition of project (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to devise in the mind : design

b : to plan, figure, or estimate for the future

2 : to throw or cast forward : thrust

3 : to put or set forth : present for consideration

4 : to cause to jut out

5 : to cause (light or shadow) to fall into space or (an image) to fall on a surface

6 : to reproduce (something, such as a point, line, or area) on a surface by motion in a prescribed direction

7 : to display outwardly especially to an audience

8 : to attribute (one's own ideas, feelings, or characteristics) to other people or to objects a nation is an entity on which one can project many of the worst of one's instincts — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

intransitive verb

1 : to jut out : protrude

2a : to come across vividly : give an impression

b : to make oneself heard clearly

Other Words from project Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about project

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Choose the Right Synonym for project

Noun

plan, design, plot, scheme, project mean a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end. plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation. plans for a house design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony. a design for a new dress plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions. the plot of the play scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest. a scheme to defraud the government project often stresses imaginative scope and vision. a project to develop the waterfront

Examples of project in a Sentence

Noun

an ambitious project to develop the city's waterfront

Verb

He projected next year's costs as being slightly higher than this year's. It's difficult to project funding needs so far into the future. an athlete who projects a positive image to young people We need an actor who projects a tough-guy image.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

According to the Post, Alexander was leaving his Afro-beats dance practice and had an anthropology thesis project on his mind. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Viral Video Shows a Black Columbia University Student Being Pinned Down by Barnard College Security," 15 Apr. 2019 The actress, who played Abigail Stanton, has since been cut from all Hallmark projects. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "'When Calls the Heart' Released a New Ornament to Help You Survive the Show's Hiatus," 14 Apr. 2019 But ultimately, this project from the beginning seemed so special in its ability to take on these huge themes—everything from addiction to mental health to female friendships—in a very full, multidimensional way. — Candice Frederick, Harper's BAZAAR, "Russian Doll's Greta Lee Is the Best Friend You Always Wanted," 13 Apr. 2019 China slashed by nearly a third its price for building a multibillion-dollar Malaysian railway, salvaging a project seen as crucial to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s program to develop global infrastructure. — Yantoultra Ngui, WSJ, "China Chops Price for a Much-Criticized ‘Belt and Road’ Project in Malaysia," 12 Apr. 2019 But simply receiving some observing time wasn’t all the EHT project needed. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Behind the Scenes of the First Black Hole Photo," 12 Apr. 2019 But Quinn said that was mostly a product of the early recycling attempts, which involved a collection of small projects that were difficult to keep profitable. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Bikes, bowling balls, and the delicate balancing act that is modern recycling," 31 Dec. 2018 Some of them are being deployed to test how investments in bigger transit projects down the road might perform. — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "The good, the bad, and the ugly of self-driving cars in 2018," 27 Dec. 2018 Second-Chance Super Sabbatical Dominant breed: Tech entrepreneurs who’ve sold off their companies, Hollywood actors between projects, financiers looking to hit pause after daily sessions of Headspace didn’t do the trick. — Marisa Meltzer, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Latest Travel Trend? Super Sabbaticals," 24 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Scientists say figuring out the ocean physics is far less of a challenge than projecting the biological ramifications. — Dan Joling, The Seattle Times, "Pace of Bering Sea changes startles scientists," 16 Apr. 2019 Young employees who push too hard risk derailing their careers by projecting a sense of entitlement. — Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, "The Office Rookies Who Ask for the World," 8 Apr. 2019 There's speculation as to whether the rosy middle gem is a ruby, pink diamond, or pink sapphire, and therefore various experts are projecting different estimates for its possible value. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Katy Perry's Engagement Ring from Orlando Bloom Has a Surprising Link to Princess Diana," 16 Feb. 2019 Schröder and Storm took those historical trends and projected them through 2050, using official numbers from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). — David Roberts, Vox, "The case for “conditional optimism” on climate change," 29 Jan. 2019 Indoors, this more than suffices, but the sound doesn't project well when outdoors. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Hands-on with a $434 replica lightsaber: May the dork be with you," 25 Dec. 2018 The data includes the property’s monthly rent, annual taxes, and projected price appreciation, in addition to information on neighborhood quality and schools. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "Single-family rental units have never been easier to buy," 17 July 2018 By 2028, it is projected to be nearly 100% of GDP and still rising. — Martin Feldstein, WSJ, "The Debt Crisis Is Coming Soon," 20 Mar. 2019 As far back as 2001, it was projected that 407 and 321 numbers would run out by the end of 2003. — Marco Santana, OrlandoSentinel.com, "689 area code could be added to Central Florida," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'project.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for project

Noun

Middle English projecte, from Medieval Latin projectum, from Latin, neuter of projectus, past participle of proicere to throw forward, from pro- + jacere to throw — more at jet

Verb

Anglo-French projecter, from Latin projectus, past participle

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Dictionary Entries near project

Statistics for project

Last Updated

19 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for project

The first known use of project was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for project

project

noun

English Language Learners Definition of project

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a planned piece of work that has a specific purpose (such as to find information or to make something new) and that usually requires a lot of time

: a task or problem in school that requires careful work over a long period of time

project

verb

English Language Learners Definition of project (Entry 2 of 2)

: to plan, calculate, or estimate (something) for a time in the future

: to cause (light, a picture, a movie, etc.) to appear on a surface

: to have or show (a particular quality, image, etc., that can be seen by other people)

See the full definition for project in the English Language Learners Dictionary

project

noun

proj·ect | \ ˈprä-ˌjekt

, -jikt\

Kids Definition of project

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a plan or scheme to do something home improvement projects

2 : a task or problem in school that requires work over a period of time and is often displayed or presented a science project

3 : a group of houses or apartment buildings built according to a single plan

project

verb

pro·ject | \ prə-ˈjekt

projected; projecting

Kids Definition of project (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to stick out The rock projected above the ground.

2 : to cause to fall on a surface The machine projects motion pictures on a screen.

3 : to send or throw forward

project

transitive verb

pro·ject | \ prə-ˈjekt

Medical Definition of project

: to attribute or assign (something in one's own mind or a personal characteristic) to a person, group, or object the patient projected hostility onto the therapist

intransitive verb

: to connect by sending nerve fibers or processes cells of the lateral geniculate body project to the back part of the cerebral cortex