proponent
noun
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Proponent comes from the same Latin word as propose, so a proponent is someone who proposes something, or at least supports it by speaking and writing in favor of it. Thus, for example, proponents of casinos argue that they create jobs, whereas proponents of a casino ban—that is, casino opponents—argue that they're corrupting and they take money away from people who can't afford it. As a rule, just about anything important that gets proposed also gets opposed.
Synonyms
Examples of proponent in a Sentence
Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2023
She is also known as a big proponent of crypto and blockchain technology.
—Vicky Ge Huang, WSJ, 15 Nov. 2023
The Biden administration’s FTC is in support of right to repair, but proponents say more aggressive action is needed to outpace the tech industry.
—Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 14 Nov. 2023
Sapolsky sometimes gets a bit frustrated with free-will proponents.
—Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 12 Nov. 2023
For more than 100 years, proponents and opponents of daylight saving time have argued over whether to keep observing the twice-yearly changing of the clocks, but many don't know how or why the U.S. started the custom in the first place.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2023
Johnson was a vocal proponent of Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, leading an amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit aimed at tossing out results from four critical states.
—Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2023
Nutter was a vocal proponent of stop-and-frisk, as part of a larger program of crime deterrence.
—Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2023
But once Israel’s bombardment of Gaza began, with images of multi-story residential buildings collapsing in smoke and bodies being pulled from rubble, several Arab states became the most vocal proponents of an immediate cease-fire.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proponent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Latin proponent-, proponens, present participle of proponere
1588, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near proponent
Cite this Entry
“Proponent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proponent. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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proponent
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proponent
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More from Merriam-Webster on proponent
Nglish: Translation of proponent for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of proponent for Arabic Speakers
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