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

The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes pitched the $300 million project to stop gambling dollars from heading to a new MGM casino in Springfield. — Russell Blair, courant.com, "Sports betting, a Bridgeport casino and esports at the XL Center. Here’s how expanded gambling could play out in Connecticut.," 6 Aug. 2019 Begun in April 2018, the $256 million project involves the renovation and expansion of the existing high school on the city’s Central Hill campus. — John Laidler, BostonGlobe.com, "Somerville high school project meets milestone," 6 Aug. 2019 The project’s successes have sometimes involved the police. — Allie Morris, ExpressNews.com, "Prompted by mass shootings, Texas poured $5M into unproven mental health program," 6 Aug. 2019 The $230 million project is expected to create a total of 17,000 jobs, both for the development and indirectly as a result of it, according to the city. — Riley Murdock, azcentral, "Mesa lands $5M CAVU Aerospace facility near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, up to 75 jobs," 5 Aug. 2019 From high-tech visitor screening vestibules to traditional iron fences, construction crews are wrapping up a $2 million summer construction project aimed at enhancing building security at the New Trier High School Northfied campus. — Karen Ann Cullotta, chicagotribune.com, "New Trier’s Northfield campus gets $2 million building security makeover," 5 Aug. 2019 The $425 million project took five months rather than four years to complete. — Washington Post, "Chicago remade its 127-year-old rapid transit system. Are there lessons for Metro?," 3 Aug. 2019 The project will involve restoration of the stone walls, monitoring of their movement and combating the invasive weed, said Lovemore Nyandima, a regional director for the Great Zimbabwe Museum. — Antony Sguazzin, Fortune, "Donald Trump Gets His Wall at Last—but It’s in Zimbabwe," 3 Aug. 2019 The project involves replacement of six expansion joints in the upper terminal roadway and an additional joint in the flyover bridge that connects the roadway to the Smart Parking Garage. — Robert Higgs, cleveland.com, "Roadwork to close lanes in upper terminal roadway at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport," 2 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Hillary Clinton was projected to win the national popular vote and did—and not focusing on the states that would determine the electoral vote. — Bob Sellers, Fortune, "Here’s How the Economy Has Performed in Every Swing State Since Trump Was Elected," 7 Aug. 2019 While spending on most back-to-school items is expected to remain flat this year, electronics sales are projected to rise by 29 percent, according to Deloitte. — Paul Takahashi, Houston Chronicle, "Back-to-school costs add up for Houston families," 6 Aug. 2019 A few weeks ago, the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing was celebrated in a unique way: Images of Apollo 11 were projected onto the Washington Monument. — John Kelly, Washington Post, "In 1969, Gonzaga students tweaked their rivals with the mother of all pranks," 5 Aug. 2019 In an apocalyptic future where humans are at war with robots, the Matrix is projected straight into humans’ minds as a distraction while their bodies are farmed by A.I. for energy. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "Dodge this news: The Matrix returning to theaters for 20th anniversary," 5 Aug. 2019 Franco was once projected as a cornerstone player for the Phillies, appearing in more than 150 games in both 2016 and 2017. — Dan Gelston, chicagotribune.com, "Leury Garcia hits a grand slam and Eloy Jimenez adds a 3-run home run in the White Sox’s 10-5 win," 4 Aug. 2019 Employment of software developers is projected to grow 24 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. — Slade Rand, courant.com, "Holberton School, newly arrived in Connecticut, trains software engineers and allows students to defer tuition payments until they have a job," 29 July 2019 This, however, is minuscule considering the projected — and planned — deficits of $11.4 trillion in a decade. — George Will, National Review, "The ‘Cadillac Tax’ Repeal Shows Bipartisanship Hazards," 25 July 2019 As part of the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary celebrations, a stunning image of the Saturn V rocket that carried Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins into space, has been projected onto the Washington Monument this week. — Fox News, "Buzz Aldrin 'disappointed' in progress made since Apollo 11: 'We have the number one rocket and spacecraft and they can’t get into lunar orbit'," 20 July 2019

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

9 Aug 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