suppose

verb sup·pose \ sə-ˈpōz , usually after "I" ˈspōz \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: suppose in a Sentence

Definition of suppose

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

See suppose defined for English-language learners

See suppose defined for kids

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 of suppose from the Web

Emails and documents that The Enquirer has obtained show that between May 17-20, no surgeons were scheduled for duty at the Cincinnati VA, which is supposed to operate its surgery department 24 hours a day.

— anne saker, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati VA turmoil: 3 patients sent elsewhere when surgery department closed for 4 days," 11 June 2018
No diehard fan wants to imagine himself as old Luke Skywalker, hiding on an island from everything new, anything that might shake his steadfast belief in how the world is supposed to be.

— marc bernardin, The Hollywood Reporter, "Toxic Fandom Is Killing 'Star Wars'," 11 June 2018
Inmates are supposed to wear the bracelets during all hours of the day, including when taking a shower, and should not be able to remove them, Hopkins said.

— kristine phillips, Washington Post, "He was charged with attempted murder. Jail officials mistakenly released him.," 11 June 2018
But then he got stuck doing a liver resection and didn’t get out of the operating room until three or four hours after their date was supposed to happen.

— nina reyes, New York Times, "They Hit It Off During a Surgical Consultation," 9 June 2018
Here is how the hiring and training process is supposed to work for this first line of protection for Alaska's most remote villages, according to the law. 1.

— kyle hopkins, Anchorage Daily News, "A broken system of oversight for Alaska’s village police officers," 9 June 2018
This is what the 21st-century American city is supposed to be, a satisfying and active mix of cultural holdovers, storefronts, and apartment buildings.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "Downtown Nashville Is Supposed to Be the Model of the Walkable 21st-Century City. I’m Not So Sure.," 8 June 2018
This whole economic study was not to talk about Palm Beach County, but it was supposed to talk about Wellington.

— austen erblat, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee criticizes economic impact study results," 8 June 2018
Porsche has an existing big sedan, the Panamera, but don't suppose the automaker is simply going to toss in a big battery and electrify that car.

— andrew moseman, Popular Mechanics, "The Porsche Flagship Electric Car Has a Name: Taycan," 8 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of suppose

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

suppose Synonyms

Phrases

take for granted;

SUPPOSE Defined for English Language Learners

suppose

verb

Definition of suppose for English Language Learners

: to think of (something) as happening or being true in order to imagine what might happen
: to believe (something) to be true
: to believe (something) to be possible