Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense supposes, present participle supposing, past tense, past participle supposed
1. verb
You can use suppose or supposing before mentioning a possible situation or action. You usually then go on to consider the effects that this situation or action might have.
Suppose someone gave you an egg and asked you to describe exactly what was inside. [VERB that]
Supposing he's right and I do die tomorrow? Maybe I should take out an extra insurancepolicy. [VERB that]
2. verb
If you supposethat something is true, you believe that it is probably true, because of other things that you know.
The policy is perfectly clear and I see no reason to suppose that it isn't working. [VERB that]
I knew very well that the problem was more complex than he supposed. [VERB that]
It had been supposed that by then Peter would be married. [beVERB-ed that]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: think, imagine, expect, judge More Synonyms of suppose
3.
See I suppose
4.
See I suppose
5.
See I don't suppose
6.
See do you suppose
7.
See do you suppose
More Synonyms of suppose
suppose in British English
(səˈpəʊz)
verb(tr; may take a clause as object)
1.
to presume (something) to be true without certain knowledge
I suppose he meant to kill her
2.
to consider as a possible suggestion for the sake of discussion, elucidation, etc; postulate
suppose that he wins the election
3.
(of theories, propositions, etc) to imply the inference or assumption (of)
your policy supposes full employment
Derived forms
supposable (supˈposable)
adjective
supposer (supˈposer)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French supposer, from Medieval Latin suppōnere, from Latin: to substitute, from sub- + pōnere to put
suppose in American English
(səˈpoʊz)
verb transitiveWord forms: supˈposed or supˈposing
1.
to assume to be true, as for the sake of argument or to illustrate a proof
suppose A equals B
2.
to believe, think, guess, etc.
I suppose you're right
3.
presuppose (sense 2)
4.
to consider as a proposed or suggested possibility
used in the imperative
suppose they don't come
5.
to expect or obligate
always in the passive
you're supposed to telephone
verb intransitive
6.
to make a supposition; conjecture
Derived forms
supposable (supˈposable)
adjective
supposably (supˈposably)
adverb
supposer (supˈposer)
noun
Word origin
ME supposen < MFr supposer, to suppose, imagine, altered (infl. by poser: see pose1) < ML supponere, to suppose, assume < L, to put under, substitute < sub-, sub- + ponere: see position
Examples of 'suppose' in a sentence
suppose
The benefit of the doubt is supposed to go to the attacking player anyway.
The Sun (2012)
The process was supposed to take two to three hours.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We are supposed to know intuitively how to do it.
Bethune, Helen Positive Parent Power (1991)
Kicks went where they were supposed to go.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
No vote was supposed to be taken on the idea.
The Sun (2009)
It seems funding that was supposed to go on flood plans may have been spent on something else entirely.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They just did not know they were supposed to lay down and die against the European champions.
The Sun (2010)
Noel said he didn’t know; he supposed because he wanted to.
E. Nesbit The Treasure Seekers (1899)
We weren't supposed to be going through this again.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
How else are you supposed to know when your toast's done?
The Sun (2012)
We didn't know we were supposed to go to prison.
Christianity Today (2000)
I know men are usually supposed to do this sort of thing.
The Sun (2014)
I suppose you know what you have got?
Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892)
It is too expensive to escort them on commercial flights so the Polish military are supposed to take them.
The Sun (2008)
He scared me a little because he got too close to other bodies from time to time because he is not supposed to take contact.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The snap was supposed to be taken without his knowledge, but he seemed to glare at us all the same.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
An example would probably help: Suppose you live on a fairly noisy street.
Bee, Helen The Developing Child (7th edn.) (1995)
As industry convention usually has rejection leading to oblivion, it's a record we were probably not supposed to notice.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Still, I suppose he probably has now.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
I suppose that's probably a good thing, on the whole.
The Sun (2013)
I suppose I can probably tell you this now.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He has got more experience than me and he is naturally good at it, so I suppose he probably would be better.
The Sun (2015)
In other languages
suppose
British English: suppose /səˈpəʊz/ VERB
You use suppose or supposing when you are considering a possible situation or action and trying to think what effects it would have.
Suppose you won the lottery. What would you do with the money?
American English: suppose
Arabic: يَظُنُّ
Brazilian Portuguese: supor
Chinese: 假设
Croatian: pretpostaviti
Czech: předpokládat
Danish: formode
Dutch: veronderstellen
European Spanish: suponer imaginar
Finnish: olettaa
French: supposer
German: annehmen vermuten
Greek: υποθέτω
Italian: supporre
Japanese: 想定する
Korean: 가정하다
Norwegian: anta
Polish: przypuścić
European Portuguese: supor
Romanian: a presupune
Russian: предполагать
Latin American Spanish: suponer
Swedish: förmoda
Thai: สมมุติ
Turkish: varsaymak
Ukrainian: припускати
Vietnamese: cho là
Chinese translation of 'suppose'
suppose
(səˈpəuz)
vt
认(認)为(為) (rènwéi)
I suppose我想 (wǒ xiǎng)
it was worse than she'd supposed事情比她想象的要糟 (shìqing bǐ tā xiǎngxiàng de yào zāo)
I don't suppose she'll come我想她不会(會)来(來) (wǒ xiǎng tā bùhuì lái)
he's about sixty, I suppose我想他大概60岁(歲) (wǒ xiǎng tā dàgài liùshí suì)
I suppose so/not我看是/不是这(這)样(樣) (wǒ kàn shì/bùshì zhèyàng)
suppose he was right假定他是对(對)的 (jiǎdìng tā shì duì de)
he is supposed to do it (duty) 他应(應)该(該)做的 (tā yīnggāi zuò de)
he's supposed to be an expert人们(們)以为(為)他是个(個)专(專)家 (rénmen yǐwéi tā shì gè zhuānjiā)
All related terms of 'suppose'
I suppose
我想 wǒ xiǎng
I suppose so/not
我看是/不是这(這)样(樣) wǒ kàn shì/bùshì zhèyàng
suppose he was right
假定他是对(對)的 jiǎdìng tā shì duì de
he's about sixty, I suppose
我想他大概60岁(歲) wǒ xiǎng tā dàgài liùshí suì
I don't suppose she'll come
我想她不会(會)来(來) wǒ xiǎng tā bùhuì lái
1 (verb)
Definition
to consider (something) as a possible suggestion for the sake of discussion
Where do you suppose he's got to?
Synonyms
imagine
Looking back, I think I must have imagined the whole thing.
believe
I believe you have something of mine.
consider
I had always considered myself a strong, competent woman.
conclude
We concluded that he was telling the truth.
fancy
She fancied he was trying to hide a smile.
conceive
We now cannot conceive of a world without electricity.
conjecture
This may or may not be true; we are all conjecturing here.
postulate (formal)
Freud postulated that we all have a death instinct.
hypothesize
2 (verb)
Definition
to presume (something) to be true without certain knowledge
The problem was more complex than he supposed.
Synonyms
think
I think he'll do a great job for us.
imagine
I imagine you're referring to me.
expect
We expect the talks will continue until tomorrow.
judge
It is important to judge the weight of your washing load.
assume
It is a mistake to assume that the two are similar.
guess (informal)
I guess I'm just being paranoid.
calculate (US, dialect)
presume
I presume you're here on business.
take for granted
infer
I inferred from what she said that you have not been well.
conjecture
surmise
She surmised that they had discovered one of the illegal streets.
dare say
opine (formal)
`He's probably just tired,' she opined.
presuppose
All your arguments presuppose that he is a rational man.
take as read
Additional synonyms
in the sense of assume
Definition
to take to be true without proof
It is a mistake to assume that the two are similar.
Synonyms
presume,
think,
believe,
expect,
accept,
suppose,
imagine,
suspect,
guess (informal),
take it,
fancy,
take for granted,
infer,
conjecture,
postulate (formal),
surmise,
presuppose
in the sense of believe
Definition
to think, assume, or suppose
I believe you have something of mine.
Synonyms
think,
consider,
judge,
suppose,
maintain,
estimate,
imagine,
assume,
gather,
guess (informal),
reckon,
conclude,
deem,
speculate,
presume,
conjecture,
postulate (formal),
surmise
in the sense of conceive
Definition
to consider in a certain way
We now cannot conceive of a world without electricity.
Synonyms
imagine,
envisage,
comprehend,
visualize,
think,
believe,
suppose,
fancy,
appreciate,
grasp,
apprehend
Synonyms of 'suppose'
suppose
Explore 'suppose' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of conclude
Definition
to decide by reasoning
We concluded that he was telling the truth.
Synonyms
decide,
judge,
establish,
suppose,
determine,
assume,
gather,
reckon (informal),
work out,
infer,
deduce,
surmise
in the sense of conjecture
Definition
to form (an opinion or conclusion) from incomplete evidence
This may or may not be true; we are all conjecturing here.
Synonyms
guess,
speculate,
surmise,
theorize,
suppose,
imagine,
assume,
fancy,
infer,
hypothesize,
suspect
in the sense of consider
Definition
to be of the opinion that
I had always considered myself a strong, competent woman.
Synonyms
think,
see,
believe,
rate,
judge,
suppose,
deem,
view as,
look upon,
regard as,
hold to be,
adjudge
in the sense of expect
Definition
to regard as likely
We expect the talks will continue until tomorrow.
Synonyms
think,
believe,
suppose,
assume,
trust,
imagine,
reckon (informal),
forecast,
calculate,
presume,
foresee,
conjecture,
surmise,
think likely
in the sense of fancy
Definition
to think or suppose
She fancied he was trying to hide a smile.
Synonyms
suppose,
think,
believe,
imagine,
guess (informal),
reckon,
conceive,
infer,
conjecture,
surmise,
think likely,
be inclined to think
in the sense of guess
Definition
to think or suppose
I guess I'm just being paranoid.
Synonyms
suppose,
think,
believe,
suspect,
judge,
imagine,
reckon (informal),
fancy,
conjecture,
dare say
in the sense of infer
Definition
to conclude by reasoning from evidence
I inferred from what she said that you have not been well.
Synonyms
deduce,
understand,
gather,
conclude,
derive,
presume,
conjecture,
surmise,
read between the lines,
put two and two together
in the sense of judge
Definition
to decide (something) after inquiry
It is important to judge the weight of your washing load.
Synonyms
estimate,
guess,
assess,
calculate,
evaluate,
gauge,
appraise,
determine
in the sense of opine
Definition
to hold or express an opinion
`He's probably just tired,' she opined.
Synonyms
suggest,
say,
think,
believe,
judge,
suppose,
declare,
conclude,
venture,
volunteer,
imply,
intimate,
presume,
conjecture,
surmise,
ween (poetic),
give as your opinion
in the sense of postulate
Definition
to assume to be true as the basis of an argument or theory
Freud postulated that we all have a death instinct.
Synonyms
presuppose,
suppose,
advance,
propose,
assume,
put forward,
take for granted,
predicate,
theorize,
posit,
hypothesize
Additional synonyms
in the sense of presume
Definition
to take (something) for granted
I presume you're here on business.
Synonyms
believe,
think,
suppose,
assume,
guess (informal),
take it,
take for granted,
infer,
conjecture,
postulate (formal),
surmise,
posit,
presuppose
in the sense of presuppose
Definition
to take for granted
All your arguments presuppose that he is a rational man.
Synonyms
presume,
consider,
accept,
suppose,
assume,
take it,
imply,
take for granted,
postulate (formal),
posit,
take as read
in the sense of surmise
Definition
to guess (something) from incomplete or uncertain evidence
She surmised that they had discovered one of the illegal streets.