Propose

How to spell propose

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce propose

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does propose mean?

1. verbTo put forward a plan, idea, or course of action for others to consider.
2. verbTo ask someone to marry you.

Propose in a sentence

• The committee will propose a new budget at the meeting.

• He planned to propose to her during their trip to Paris.

• The architects propose a glass extension at the rear of the house.

• She was nervous about how to propose over dinner.

Where does propose come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word arrived in English in the 1300s from the Old French proposer, meaning 'to put forward' or 'to set out'. Its deeper root is the Latin proponere, formed from pro 'forth, forward' and ponere 'to place or put', so the literal sense is to place an idea in front of others for consideration. The French form took on the spelling and shape of poser 'to place', which is why English ended up with propose rather than a form closer to the Latin proponere; that same root survives in 'proposition' and 'proponent'. From the general notion of putting a plan forward, the narrower romantic sense, to offer marriage, developed by the 1700s. The trap for writers is the single s pronounced like a z and the unstressed first syllable, which can tempt a spelling like 'perpose'.

How the word is built

• pro- (forth, forward)
• -pose (from Latin ponere/positus: to place, put)