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

For this project, the client, along with her husband and two young children, had asked Harper to help revitalize a seaside house in Windsor, Florida, a New Urbanist community developed in the late 1980s. — Emma Bazilian, House Beautiful, "This Beach House Features the Most Surprisingly Awesome Color Combinations," 4 Mar. 2019 But this latest project is more than a skyline-transforming, 145-room hotel (The Stratford, opening in May) and apartment block with a destination restaurant, three sky gardens, sleek interiors by Space Copenhagen... — Gavanndra Hodge, WSJ, "Manhattan Loft Gardens Aims to Transform East London," 1 Mar. 2019 For this project, a 3,100-square-foot penthouse in Greenwich Village, Lizzie, who is known for her colorful wardrobe, gravitated toward primary hues. — Alina Cho, ELLE Decor, "Uptown Glamour Goes Downtown in a Bold West Village Pad," 22 Feb. 2019 On Monday, Hulu announced that the project was coming to its streaming platform. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are Creating a Devil in the White City Series for Hulu," 14 Feb. 2019 This project comes from the same owners as the breakfast burrito joint Bang Bang Café in Belltown. — Tan Vinh, The Seattle Times, "Bellevue lands a famous, big-name hot-pot spot and 42 other new openings around the Seattle area," 13 Feb. 2019 Her throwing her support to this project as a whole meant a lot. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "13 Fun Facts About "Kim Possible" Star Sadie Stanley That’ll Make Her Your New Celeb Obsession," 8 Feb. 2019 This project suggests pairing humans with machines to crowdsource keywords for works of art that the Met archives, and then using those keywords in conjunction with the Wikimedia platforms to suggest related art when those keywords are called up. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft uses AI to bring the Met's art collection to the web—and your Instagram," 4 Feb. 2019 The Teen Vogue 21 Under 21 2018 alum will further explore family, personal and social dynamics in this new project. — Sara Delgado, Teen Vogue, "New "Zoe Valentine" Trailer Shows Anna Cathcart's Character Dealing With Grief," 3 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

McDaniels’ dunk in December made ESPN’s SportsCenter, and a day later Federal Way participated in the Hoophall Classic in January, McDaniels was projected as the No. 1 overall pick for the 2020 NBA draft by ESPN.com. — Jayda Evans, The Seattle Times, "‘He’s the future of basketball’: Federal Way’s Jaden McDaniels has become one of the best in nation," 20 Feb. 2019 Robes and beards are easy enough to track down, but sword-like hilts that project concentrated beams of controlled, tactile light are still at least a few years out. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Hands-on with a $434 replica lightsaber: May the dork be with you," 25 Dec. 2018 He is projected to start at shortstop for the New York Yankees while Didi Gregorius recovers from Tommy John surgery. — Mark Didtler, The Seattle Times, "Yankees’ Tulowitzki hits in first simulated game," 20 Feb. 2019 Read more Coca-Cola projected adjusted earnings this year to fall 1% or rise 1%. — Aisha Al-muslim, WSJ, "Coca-Cola Expects Sales Growth to Slow in 2019," 14 Feb. 2019 It was projected at the start of 2018 that Americans would eat more meat this year than ever. — Kelsey Piper, Vox, "2018’s big wins — and big losses — for animals," 24 Dec. 2018 For the first time in US history, it's been projected that more than 100 women have been elected to the House of Representatives. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "America Could Elect More Than 100 Women to the House For the First Time in History," 7 Nov. 2018 By the end of the century, it's projected to rise by more than 6 feet, enough to wash over parts of the islands with each high tide. — Fox News, "After Florence, barrier islands still doomed by rising sea," 13 Sep. 2018 The United States soap industry is one of the largest in the world, generating about $18 billion in revenues annually, and it is projected to reach $24 billion by 2022, according to a recent report by Expert Market Research. — Tyler Watamanuk, New York Times, "When Did Soap, Once Simple, Get So Complicated?," 11 July 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

8 Mar 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