Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

suppose

 - definition
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
verb [transitive] American English pronunciation: suppose /səˈpoʊz/ 
Word Forms
Close
present tense
I/you/we/theysuppose
he/she/itsupposes
present participlesupposing
past tensesupposed
past participlesupposed

Related dictionary definitions

  1. 1
    to believe that something is probably true, based on your experience, your knowledge, and any other information that you have

    She was about 35, Dexter supposed.

    The game was not as one-sided as we had supposed.

    suppose (that):

    I suppose she must be delighted about getting the job.

    Scientists can only suppose that the illness is caused by a virus.

    be popularly/commonly/generally etc. supposed (=many people believe it is true):

    Older people can learn much more quickly than is commonly supposed.

    reason to suppose (that):

    We have no reason to suppose that he’s done anything illegal.

    There was good reason to suppose that she had left the country.

    suppose someone to be something:

    She was accompanied by a man whom we supposed to be her husband.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  supposeThesaurus entry for this meaning of suppose
    1. a.
      to think that something is possible, although you do not definitely know if it is
      suppose (that):

      I suppose we could afford a new car.

      You don’t suppose that he’s going to hurt anyone, do you?

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  supposeThesaurus entry for this meaning of suppose
    2. b.
      to think that something is true or right, although you are not very happy about this
      suppose (that):

      I suppose I had better get back to work.

      Sarah supposed that she could stay with her parents if all else failed.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  supposeThesaurus entry for this meaning of suppose
  2. 2
    formal to expect that something is true or will happen
    suppose (that):

    The law supposes that parents know what is best for their children.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  supposeThesaurus entry for this meaning of suppose

phrases

This is the American English definition of suppose. View British English definition of suppose.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

 

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day Word of the Day

zeugma

the use of a word twice in the same sentence but with different meanings. The sentence ‘She...

Open Dictionary

conflict mineral

a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog