supposed

adjective

sup·​posed sə-ˈpōzd 

senses 1b and 2a usually

sə-ˈpō-zəd 

senses 3 and 4 often

sə-ˈpōst 

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

Synonyms

• presumed
• apparent
• possible
• seeming
• probable
• assumed
• obvious

Examples of supposed in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The reaction, though, of supposed country folk has puzzled me the most. —John Vukmirovich, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

As Premier League spending ballooned over the £3billion mark — more than the other four main European domestic leagues combined — PSR and its supposed influence remained a constant in the background, a grim reaper bearing a calculator rather than a scythe. —Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025

None of these things are the least bit ahistorical, and all of them have been made incalculably worse by a world that seeks to seal its crimes in a bubble — to disguise its worst sins behind a supposed lack of precedent. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025

Neither will leadership, toughness, the supposed culture makeover or any other intangible be able to end the ignominous playoff-win drought. —Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing supposed

• be supposed to
• what's that supposed to mean

Rhymes for supposed

• decomposed
• discomposed
• indisposed
• interposed
• juxtaposed
• predisposed
• presupposed
• reimposed
• superposed
• undisclosed
• undisposed
• unenclosed

Kids Definition

supposed

adjective

sup·​posed sə-ˈpōzd 

sense 1 usually

-ˈpō-zəd 

senses 2 & 3 often

-ˈpōst 

1

: believed to be true or real

a supposed cure

2

: considered probable or certain : expected

they are supposed to be here tomorrow

3

: required by or as if by authority

you are supposed to listen to your parents

supposedly

-ˈpō-zəd-lē 

 also  -ˈpōz-dlē

adverb