proposition

noun

ˌprä-pə-ˈzi-shən How to pronounce proposition (audio)
Definition of propositionnext
1
as in hypothesis
an idea that is the starting point for making a case or conducting an investigation started the discussion with the simple proposition that no one ever does anything out of pure altruism

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in proposal
something which is presented for consideration a neighbor with a business proposition to tell us about

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of proposition Restricted free agency doesn’t appear to be the most thrilling proposition at the outset, Walker Kessler admitted on Monday morning in Las Vegas. — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 13 July 2026 When cinematic drone footage, influencer previews and comparisons with Orlando dominate social feeds, expectations can quickly drift away from the original proposition. — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026 An August 2024 commissioners court agenda initially included a proposition to swap out Veterans Day as an employee holiday instead, but the motion never made it to the court. — Rachel Royster july 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026 However, the ballot proposition process would increasingly serve the very forces that direct democracy was conceived as a bulwark against — those with the means to push their pet causes. — Mark Brilliant, Mercury News, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for proposition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proposition
  1. hypothesis
  2. proposal
  3. theory
  4. suggestion
  5. thesis
  6. premise
Noun
  • Feynman was a graduate student there at the time and threw himself into the debate with gusto, even devising an experiment in the cyclotron laboratory to test his hypothesis.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026
  • Finally, the paper acknowledges that the study’s interviewer was not blind to the C9 status of its participants and went in with a specific hypothesis—circumstances that risk bias.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Definition of hypothesis
Noun
  • The American Astronomical Society (AAS), which published a petition in March for the FCC to deny Reflect Orbital’s proposal, hopes to bring the issue to Congress, says Roohi Dalal, the organization’s deputy director for public policy.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
  • The Federalist Papers include proposals for institutional solutions that sought to redirect the destructive drives of individuals toward positive social ends.
    — Donovan Fifield, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
Definition of proposal
Noun
  • One theory is that English and European voices provide an air of authority, even legitimacy, to a sport which, while embraced by millions in America, is still ‘foreign’, certainly when compared to NFL, baseball and basketball.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • Speculation was rife; one unproven theory was that someone had heated the sensor with a hairdryer.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of theory
Noun
  • The suggestion that Pebley’s removal was a sign that the team is performing poorly didn’t sit well with coach Lynne Roberts.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • There is also a suggestion that a certain kind of acupuncture may help.
    — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of suggestion
Noun
  • Icotyde is core to our investment thesis as patients look to trade in needles for pills.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Pollock wasn’t offering a thesis on the death of easel painting, and Warhol wasn’t satirizing consumer culture.
    — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Definition of thesis
Noun
  • That buy-in proves essential to a movie whose premise requires you to suspend every iota of your disbelief, lest its Lanthimos-lite approach to child abduction curdle into something much darker.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • The bakery must have the premises serviced by a pest control operator before reopening, the report said.
    — Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Definition of premise

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proposing
proposition
propositions
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Cite this Entry

“Proposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proposition. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on proposition

Nglish: Translation of proposition for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about proposition

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