Definition of propose in English:

verb

• 1with object Put forward (a plan or suggestion) for consideration by others.

  ‘he proposed a new nine-point peace plan’

  with clause ‘I proposed that the government should retain a 51 per cent stake in the company’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The conference voted for complete opposition to the Lyons report, which first proposed these plans.’
  • ‘Public sector workers also need to actively recruit to their unions by explaining what the plans mean and by proposing a strategy for fighting them.’
  • ‘In what follows I try to analyze what gave rise to this choice for the public, and propose a plan for moving on.’
  • ‘Part of the process of establishing the benefit of a care order will be consideration of the care plan proposed by the local authority.’
  • ‘He proposes a lucid plan that really deserves immediate attention by policymakers.’
  • ‘There are several issues to be considered in proposing any innovative scheme such as this.’
  • ‘And in fact, they're not proposing a peace plan.’
  • ‘The plan was proposed because many of the hospital's 16 buildings, some of which date back to 1908, need major repairs.’
  • ‘The bill proposes a new family of interlocking, flexible accounts.’
  • ‘She proposed workers could put in 12-hour shifts, four days at a time, instead of the current five-day schedule.’
  • ‘At the end of the last Congressional session, a legalization program for undocumented farm laborers was proposed.’
  • ‘The president first proposed his guest worker program a year ago.’
  • ‘On top of that you have to add all the other spending he's proposed.’
  • ‘He's proposed lowering the class size and putting 100,000 teachers out into our schools.’
  • ‘Now it's proposed the bottom teams in both sections be relegated.’
  • ‘He was opposed to orthodoxy of any kind; he proposed no gods or explanations of how the world came into being.’
  • ‘He is also a bold thinker who proposed civil servants' salary cuts.’
  • ‘The Town Council proposed a target figure of 75 per cent affordable housing.’
  • ‘However, he said the council had questioned the figure proposed by the City Sanitation Agency.’
  • ‘Later, it says: ‘Although they might be thoroughly decent places to live, it's still hard to propose any serious tourist investigation.’’

  Synonyms

  put forward, suggest, advance, offer, present, move, submit, prefer, file, lodge, table, initiate, bring, bring forward, come up with, tender, bid, project, recommend, advocate, propound, proffer, posit

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  1. 1.1Nominate (someone) for an elected office or as a member of a society.
     ‘Roy Thomson was proposed as chairman’
     More example sentences

     • ‘I was elected, after somebody proposed me, so they wanted me.’
     • ‘I assume you did not propose me for this office so that I, too, should lie to you.’
     • ‘After he retired in 1992, he asked a friend to propose him as a member.’
     • ‘He was proposed by President Sadat of Egypt and elected by acclamation.’
     • ‘Any member of the Association is eligible to propose a candidate.’
     • ‘However, in 1986 its conference included enough rampant members to reject this list and to propose candidates from the floor of the meeting.’
     • ‘They proposed her for membership and she was accepted.’
     • ‘In filling a vacancy according to Article V, section 5, the president shall ask the existing Nominating Committee to propose two candidates.’
     • ‘Before a Branch can become official, it must propose officers, have a constitution, and establish a bank account.’
     • ‘He continued he'd no doubt she would make an excellent councillor for the Ward 3 area and he had great pleasure in proposing her for the seat.’
     • ‘Under the new system, registered voters will be able to sign a petition form placed in Garda stations and local authorities proposing a candidate.’
     • ‘The candidates were proposed, seconded and, after signing the party pledge, were declared selected by the chairman.’
     • ‘Anne is proposed as honorary Scot in chief, mascot to the Scottish rugby XV and, in general, Scotia's darling.’
     • ‘The new directors were proposed by Acquisitor, which failed in a previous attempt to gain control of the board.’
     • ‘The only other candidate was a woman proposed by left wing parties.’
     • ‘‘He has told me that he will propose me and I'm confident I will be seconded by a family member.’’
     • ‘I'd like to propose my own candidate for the most loathsome display of demagoguery in the past 25 years.’
     • ‘It said it will provide technical support in risk management, financial management and internal audit, as well as propose a director for the board.’
     • ‘Proposing her for the seat he said he was proud to propose her for ‘the position her beloved father held’.’
     • ‘Each commission will propose one candidate to fill each vacancy.’
     Synonyms

     nominate, put forward, put up, name, suggest, submit, present, recommend

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  2. 1.2Put forward (a motion) to a legislature or committee.
     ‘the government put its slim majority to the test by proposing a vote of confidence’
     More example sentences

     • ‘He would not be able to live down the embarrassment in the event of someone telephoning him, as it was he who proposed the motion at committee to ban mobiles.’
     • ‘She will propose a motion requesting the council adjourn it until May 21.’
     • ‘At last week's Carlow town council meeting a resident of Grave Lane requested that the council propose a motion to change the name to Park Lane.’
     • ‘He proposed the motion that urged a united campaign.’
     • ‘The veteran pro-democracy lawmaker proposed a motion in the legislature yesterday to call for his resignation.’
     • ‘At Monday night's monthly meeting of Council, he proposed a motion that action be taken prior to the accession of the new member states in May.’
     • ‘While the question prompted discussion, his attempt to speak again on the matter and to propose a motion for recommendation was over-ruled on a point of order.’
     • ‘The independent councillors are to propose a motion tomorrow to cast the vote again, this time recording the result.’
     • ‘Both motions were proposed and seconded and all Councillors present voted in favour of both contraventions.’
     • ‘The ministry hasn't decided whether it will propose a motion to reverse the legislative resolution this week, he said.’
     • ‘A motion is proposed that would be a Good Thing.’
     • ‘He proposed a motion that no further action is taken at this time, and the committee agreed to this.’
     • ‘He had begun by proposing a motion saying that the new road sweeper belonging to Laois County Council was ‘doing an excellent job’ and he hoped it would be kept busy.’
     • ‘However, halving the time allocated to proposing a motion to five minutes and allowing seconders a mere two-and-a-half minutes to explain their position is too blunt an instrument.’
     • ‘In proposing the motion, he also said that it was a case of putting money before anything else.’
     • ‘Those countries are proposing a motion that would see the UN dole out cash to countries that protect rainforests.’
     • ‘He was proposing the motion calling on dog owners to ensure they have them under control at all times.’
     • ‘Anyway, someone proposes the motion and someone else opposes it.’
     • ‘She told the Evening Press that the motion proposed by her party had merely said it would be unacceptable to seek to impose such a charge.’
     • ‘Indeed at last Council I proposed two motions that got full Council backing.’
     Synonyms

     suggest, propose, recommend, advocate, move, table, submit

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  3. 1.3with infinitive Intend to do something.
     ‘he proposed to attend the meeting’
     More example sentences

     • ‘As we have previously pointed out, we are not proposing to attend the hearing of your Application.’
     Synonyms

     intend, have the intention, mean, plan, have plans, set out, have in mind, have in view, resolve, be resolved, aim, purpose, contemplate, think of, aspire, desire, want, wish, expect

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• 2no object Make an offer of marriage to someone.

  ‘I have already proposed to Sarah’

  with object ‘one girl proposed marriage to him on the spot’

  More example sentences

  • ‘That silly southern girl's name hadn't been mentioned since Daniel had proposed to Elizabeth.’
  • ‘In May he proposed to Maria, who declined him marriage but wished him the best.’
  • ‘There he proposed marriage, was refused, and next proposed to Iseult, who gave no definite answer.’
  • ‘I had just turned sixteen and as a present Jimmy proposed to me.’
  • ‘Jack has meanwhile proposed to Gwendolen in town, also under the name of Earnest.’
  • ‘Meanwhile, George had proposed to Jane when they were just kids.’
  • ‘Well, the day before she sent to Lord Jedburgh explaining that she had to leave, it seems that a highly inebriated Don Ramirez proposed to her and insisted that she accept.’
  • ‘Mind, it is about time that you proposed to Clara, but you ought at least have spoken with your father beforehand.’
  • ‘He has not proposed to my character yet, but he is going to.’
  • ‘Within weeks I had proposed to her and she readily accepted.’
  • ‘But then if you believed as I did, you would have agreed to marry Frank the first time he proposed to you.’
  • ‘He even proposed to that wench and wanted to start a family!’
  • ‘It had been about two weeks ago, a few days after he'd proposed to Evangelina, and he was on his way to meet his fiancée at the cathedral to check it out as a potential wedding location.’
  • ‘I thought he was, too, because he proposed to me after two months.’
  • ‘He proposed to his girlfriend over the radio before the race.’
  • ‘Charles finally got the courage you have, and proposed to Sophia.’
  • ‘Matt had learned not to keep secrets and had proposed to her.’
  • ‘Come to think of it, he could have proposed to her last night.’
  • ‘I went out with him for four years and then he proposed to me.’
  • ‘The fact that she had actually proposed to him was irrelevant.’

  Synonyms

  ask someone to marry you, make an offer of marriage, offer marriage, ask for someone's hand in marriage

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