- (prenominal) presumed to be true without certain knowledge
- (prenominal) believed to be true on slight grounds; highly doubtful
- /səˈpəʊzd/ (postpositive) followed by to: expected or obliged (to)
- /səˈpəʊzd/ (postpositive; used in negative) followed by to: expected or obliged not (to): you're not supposed to walk on the grass
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
sup•posed /səˈpoʊzd, səˈpoʊzɪd/USA pronunciation
adj. thought to be such, but not really so;
imagined:The supposed gains would be outweighed by the costs.
sup•pos•ed•ly, adv.: He was supposedly the best in the business.See suppose (def. 4).
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- assumed as true:the supposed site of Atlantis.
imagined:The supposed gains would be outweighed by the costs.
sup•pose /səˈpoʊz/USA pronunciation
v., -posed, -pos•ing, conj.
v. [not: be + ~-ing]
conj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v. [not: be + ~-ing]
- to assume (something), as for the sake of argument:[~ + (that) clause]Suppose (that) you won a million dollars in the lottery.
- to think or hold as an opinion;
believe: [~ + (that) clause]What do you suppose (that) he will do?[no object]Oh, I suppose (so). - to believe or assume as true;
take for granted:[~ + (that) clause]We all supposed that he had died in the crash. - to expect or require:[be + ~-ed + to + verb]The machine is not supposed to make noise.
conj.
- Also, supposing. (used to put forward or evaluate something to be considered as a possibility):Suppose (supposing) we do wait until tomorrow; what then?
sup•posed
(sə pōzd′, -pō′zid),USA pronunciation adj.
sup•pos•ed•ly
(sə pō′zid lē),USA pronunciation adv.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- assumed as true, regardless of fact; hypothetical:a supposed case.
- accepted or believed as true, without positive knowledge:the supposed site of an ancient temple.
- merely thought to be such;
imagined:supposed gains.
- suppose + -ed2 1560–70
sup•pose
(sə pōz′),USA pronunciation v., -posed, -pos•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
sup•pos′a•ble, adj.
sup•pos′a•bly, adv.
sup•pos′er, n.
v.t.
- to assume (something), as for the sake of argument or as part of a proposition or theory:Suppose the distance to be one mile.
- to consider (something) as a possibility suggested or an idea or plan proposed:Suppose we wait until tomorrow.
- to believe or assume as true;
take for granted:It is supposed that his death was an accident. - to think or hold as an opinion:What do you suppose he will do?
- to require logically;
imply;
presuppose:The evidence supposes his presence near the scene. - (used in the passive) to expect or design;
require or permit (fol. by an infinitive verb):The machine is supposed to make noise. I'm not supposed to run fast.
v.i.
- to assume something;
presume;
think.
- Old French supposer, equivalent. to sup- sup- + poser to pose1; compare Medieval Latin suppōnere to suppose, Latin: to substitute, place below
- Middle English supposen 1275–1325
sup•pos′a•bly, adv.
sup•pos′er, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
supposed /səˈpəʊzd; -ˈpəʊzɪd/ adj
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
suppose /səˈpəʊz/ vb (transitive; may take a clause as object)
- to presume (something) to be true without certain knowledge: I suppose he meant to kill her
- to consider as a possible suggestion for the sake of discussion, elucidation, etc; postulate: suppose that he wins the election
- (of theories, propositions, etc) to imply the inference or assumption (of): your policy supposes full employment
'supposed to' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
begorra
- belladonna
- chaos
- deathwatch
- elixir
- evil eye
- familiar
- four-leaf clover
- ghost
- glurge
- heartstrings
- horn
- love potion
- Methuselah
- narwhal
- nightmare
- open secret
- philtre
- rainbird
- rock cake
- salamander
- sandman
- star
- Star of Bethlehem
- station
- supposed
- termagant
- truth drug
- witching hour
- wraith
- yarborough
- base
- beginner's luck
- bogeyman
- boneset
- charm
- Christ's-thorn
- Cimbri
- condom
- conferva
- constellation
- county
- cross
- Cyrillic
- Danite
- divining rod
- do
- dog days
- ether
- fact