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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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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 Rival leaders like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also publicly supported Amodei's proposition. — Jonathan Vanian,chris Eudaily, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 Turn that into a clear brand promise, differentiated value propositions and a personality that creates an emotional response. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The project’s most interesting proposition may be the possibility of buying all three units and creating a compound. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2026 Asking an 18- or 21-year-old athlete to sacrifice some portion of a present opportunity for an uncertain benefit that may principally accrue to someone else five or 10 years in the future is an inherently difficult organizing proposition. — Chris Corr, Sportico.com, 17 Sep. 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
  • That was when the police began to seriously consider the hypothesis that the blood was entering the washing machine from somewhere else.
    — Elvira Navarro, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This kind of attempt to observe without tackling with hypotheses and conjectures and theories, right?
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of hypothesis
Noun
  • The proposal was withdrawn following heavy backlash by Democrats and civil liberties groups, with eventual bipartisan support to delete the clause from a broader bill.
    — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Musk introduced the Texas proposal while discussing a much broader vision of the future.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of proposal
Noun
  • During cross-examination on Tuesday, Kosowski asked a detective to lift a cart with a person onto a desk in an attempt to disprove the state's theory, which the judge did not allow.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The quest for real-life warp drives Einstein taught us that objects with mass can't accelerate through space beyond the speed of light, according to his theory of special relativity.
    — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of theory
Noun
  • The lasting sign of our passage was a suggestion of movement, a sinuous shape of memory in the grass, like the game trail of some new, mechanical beast burst out of evolutionary time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The suggestion that her speech came from a lack of effort or support is particularly difficult for Jones given her own childhood.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of suggestion
Noun
  • Investors who are still hanging in can anchor to the 200-day at $240 as the line that keeps the longer-term thesis intact.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
  • There’s always been this idea of not viewing hip-hop through that same business lens, and that’s really one of the theses of this book.
    — Alex Gonzalez, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of thesis
Noun
  • And that is a very funny, exploitable premise on its surface.
    — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The lawyer collected the papers and said Leigh was to leave the premises.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 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 27 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on proposition

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about proposition

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