supposed

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adjective sup·posed \ sə-ˈpōzd ; senses 1b and 2a usually -ˈpō-zəd , senses 3 and 4 often -ˈpōst \

Definition of supposed

1 a :pretended

twelve hours are supposed to elapse between Acts I and II
—W. S. Gilbert

b :alleged

trusted my supposed friends

2 a :held as an opinion :believed; also :mistakenly believed :imagined

the sight which makes supposed terror true
—William Shakespeare

b :considered probable or certain :expected

it was not supposed that everybody could master the technical aspects
—J. C. Murray

c :understood

you will be supposed to refer to my grandaunt
—G. B. Shaw

3 :made or fashioned by intent or design

what's that button supposed to do

4 a :required by or as if by authority

soldiers are supposed to obey their commanding officers

b :given permission :permitted

was not supposed to have visitors

—

supposedly

play \-ˈpō-zəd-lē also -ˈpōzd-lē\ adverb

See supposed defined for English-language learners

See supposed defined for kids

Examples of supposed in a Sentence

this new computer program is a supposed improvement over the old one

Recent Examples of supposed from the Web

The lawsuit, brought up by supporters of Bernie Sanders, alleged that the DNC had accepted their donations and then screwed their candidate despite its supposed impartiality in primary elections.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "New poll: 49% of Floridians approve of Confederate monuments, 37% approve of Trump," 29 Aug. 2017
VALERY HACHE/GettyImages The ex-Manchester United star apparently wants out of the Champions League holders after he was hit by a double-whammy over supposed tax evasion and a domestic suspension for pushing a referee.

— SI.com, "Spanish TV Show Claims Ronaldo Demands Huge Pay Rise to Overshadow Messi & Neymar Salaries," 25 Aug. 2017
The Washington Island pub has been serving the supposed stomach tonic since 1899.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Trip Tips: Things to do in Door County," 24 Aug. 2017
Muhammad says the allegations were false and the supposed evidence circumstantial, and the GKNB officers soon left them alone.

— chicagotribune.com, "Kyrgystan: Scenes from Central Asia's forever war," 7 Aug. 2017
No flashing lights, no siren, how in God's name was this woman supposed to know to stop.

— Naperville Sun, "Readers Respond," 28 July 2017
That the supposed benefits of standardizing DRM at the W3C can't be realized unless there [are] protections for people who engage in lawful activity that DRM gets in the way of; and 2.

— david kravets, Ars Technica, "Global Web standard for integrating DRM into browsers hits a snag," 12 July 2017
Like Tamra, Gunvalson and Shannon had been friends, but fell out over Gunvalson’s relationship with ex-boyfriend Brooks Ayers and her involvement in his supposed cancer scheme.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "'The Gloves Are Coming Off': RHOC's Vicki Gunvalson Threatens to Expose Tamra Judge's Secrets," 11 July 2017
Just last week, senior Fatah official Firas Halabi was arrested by PA security forces because of his supposed ties to Dahlan.

— elliot kaufman, National Review, "Mahmoud Abbas’s Legacy Blows Up in His Face," 11 July 2017

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

First Known Use of supposed

15th century

supposed Synonyms

SUPPOSED Defined for English Language Learners

supposed

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adjective

Definition of supposed for English Language Learners

: claimed to be true or real

SUPPOSED Defined for Kids

supposed

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adjective sup·posed \ sə-ˈpōzd \

Definition of supposed for Students

1 :forced, expected, or required

I am supposed to be home early.

2 :believed or claimed to be true or real

the supposed murderer

3 :given permission

I'm not supposed to stay out after dark.

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supposedly

\-ˈpō-zəd-lē\ adverb

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