Standard Lemma guide

proposal

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /pɹəˈpoʊzəl/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɹəˈpəʊzəl/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AH0 P OW1 Z AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Something which is proposed, or offered for consideration or acceptance.

A scheme or design.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • proposals for the construction of a new building

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overture, proffer, proposition, plot, blueprint, design, plan, project, proposal, scheme

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something which is proposed, or offered for consideration or acceptance.

The terms or conditions proposed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • to make proposals for a treaty of peace

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overture, proffer, proposition

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Something which is proposed, or offered for consideration or acceptance.

The document on which such a thing is written.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • December 22 2016, Simon Parkin in the Irish Times Basement idea to blockbuster: The story of Fifa, the video game Lewis, who had been sent to London to set up EA's European office, wrote a proposal for a lavish, high-tech football...

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overture, proffer, proposition

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Something which is proposed, or offered for consideration or acceptance.

The act of asking someone to be one's spouse; an offer of marriage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • October 25 2013, Guardian Express Kim Kardashian Says a Prenup Is the Only Way to Marry Kanye may have been love stricken when Kim accepted his proposal to marry him but Kim has always supported the idea of a prenup.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overture, proffer, proposition

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Something which is proposed, or offered for consideration or acceptance.

The offer by a party of what they have in view as to an intended business transaction, which, with acceptance, constitutes a contract.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overture, proffer, proposition, tender

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the act of making a proposal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they listened to her proposal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: proposition

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: speech act

Narrower terms: presentation

7

noun

Meaning 7

an offer of marriage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: marriage proposal, proposal of marriage, marriage offer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: offer, offering

Narrower terms: question

8

noun

Meaning 8

something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: message, content, subject matter, substance

Narrower terms: advice, counterproposal, hypothesis, suggestion, proposition, proffer, introduction, re-introduction, motion, question

History

Etymology

From propose + -al.

Across languages

Translations

137 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Abkhaz: а́дгалара (ádgalara) — that which is proposed
  • Albanian: propozim — that which is proposed
  • Arabic: مُقْتَرَح (muqtaraḥ) — that which is proposed
  • Arabic: اِقْتِرَاح (iqtirāḥ) — that which is proposed
  • Armenian: առաջարկություն (aṙaǰarkutʻyun) — that which is proposed
  • Azerbaijani: təklif — that which is proposed
  • Belarusian: прапано́ва (prapanóva) — that which is proposed
  • Belarusian: прапазі́цыя (prapazícyja) — that which is proposed
  • Belarusian: прапазы́цыя (prapazýcyja) — that which is proposed
  • Bengali: প্রস্তাব (prostab) — that which is proposed
  • Breton: kinnig — that which is proposed
  • Bulgarian: предложе́ние (predložénie) — that which is proposed
  • Catalan: proposta — that which is proposed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 提議 /提议 (tíyì) — that which is proposed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 建議 /建议 (jiànyì) — that which is proposed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 提案 (tí'àn) — that which is proposed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 求婚 (qiúhūn) — that which is proposed
  • Czech: návrh — that which is proposed
  • Danish: forslag — that which is proposed
  • Dutch: voorstel — that which is proposed
  • Esperanto: propono — that which is proposed
  • Estonian: ettepanek — that which is proposed
  • Finnish: ehdotus — that which is proposed
  • Finnish: esitys — that which is proposed
  • Finnish: kosinta — that which is proposed
  • French: proposition — that which is proposed
  • Georgian: წინადადება (c̣inadadeba) — that which is proposed
  • German: Vorschlag — that which is proposed
  • Greek: πρόταση (prótasi) — that which is proposed
  • Ancient Greek: πρότασις (prótasis) — that which is proposed
  • Hebrew: הַצָּעָה (hatsa'á) — that which is proposed
  • Hindi: प्रस्ताव (prastāv) — that which is proposed
  • Hungarian: javaslat — that which is proposed
  • Indonesian: proposal — that which is proposed
  • Indonesian: lamaran — that which is proposed
  • Indonesian: usul — that which is proposed
  • Indonesian: usulan — that which is proposed
  • Italian: proposta — that which is proposed
  • Japanese: 提案 (teian) — that which is proposed
  • Japanese: 求婚 (kyūkon) — that which is proposed
  • Japanese: プロポーズ (puropōzu) — that which is proposed
  • Kashubian: bédowanié — that which is proposed
  • Kazakh: ұсыныс (ūsynys) — that which is proposed
  • Korean: 제안 (jean) — that which is proposed
  • Korean: 구혼 (guhon) — that which is proposed
  • Korean: 프러포즈 (peureopojeu) — that which is proposed
  • Central Kurdish: پێشنیار (pêşnyar) — that which is proposed
  • Central Kurdish: پێشنیاز (pêşnyaz) — that which is proposed
  • Northern Kurdish: teklîf — that which is proposed
  • Northern Kurdish: pêşniyar — that which is proposed
  • Northern Kurdish: pêşniyaz — that which is proposed
  • Kyrgyz: сунуш (sunuş) — that which is proposed
  • Latvian: priekšlikums — that which is proposed
  • Lithuanian: pasiūlymas — that which is proposed
  • Macedonian: предлог (predlog) — that which is proposed
  • Macedonian: понуда (ponuda) — that which is proposed
  • Māori: marohitanga — that which is proposed
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forslag — that which is proposed
  • Pashto: پېشنهاد (pešnehād) — that which is proposed
  • Pashto: وړانديز (wṛāndiz) — that which is proposed
  • Iranian Persian: پیشْنِهاد (pišnehâd) — that which is proposed
  • Plautdietsch: Väaschlach — that which is proposed
  • Polish: propozycja — that which is proposed
  • Polish: oferta — that which is proposed
  • Portuguese: proposta — that which is proposed
  • Romanian: propunere — that which is proposed
  • Russian: предложе́ние (predložénije) — that which is proposed
  • Serbo-Croatian: пре́длог — that which is proposed
  • Serbo-Croatian: прије́длог — that which is proposed
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̏нуда — that which is proposed
  • Serbo-Croatian: prédlog — that which is proposed
  • Serbo-Croatian: prijédlog — that which is proposed
  • Serbo-Croatian: pȍnuda — that which is proposed
  • Slovak: návrh — that which is proposed
  • Slovene: predlog — that which is proposed
  • Spanish: propuesta — that which is proposed
  • Swahili: pendekezo — that which is proposed
  • Swedish: förslag — that which is proposed
  • Tagalog: panukala — that which is proposed
  • Tajik: пешниҳод (pešnihod) — that which is proposed
  • Tajik: таклиф (taklif) — that which is proposed
  • Tatar: тәкъдим (täqdim) — that which is proposed
  • Thai: ข้อเสนอ (kɔ̂ɔ-sà-nə̌ə) — that which is proposed
  • Turkish: teklif — that which is proposed
  • Turkish: öneri — that which is proposed
  • Turkmen: teklip — that which is proposed
  • Ukrainian: пропози́ція (propozýcija) — that which is proposed
  • Urdu: تَجْوِیز (tajvīz) — that which is proposed
  • Urdu: پیشْکَش (peśkaś) — that which is proposed
  • Urdu: پْرَسْتاؤ (prastāo) — that which is proposed
  • Uyghur: تەكلىپ (teklip) — that which is proposed
  • Uzbek: taklif — that which is proposed
  • Yiddish: פֿאָרשלאָג (forshlog) — that which is proposed
  • Greek: προσφορά (prosforá) — law: the offer by a party of what they have in view
  • Italian: accordo — law: the offer by a party of what they have in view
  • Japanese: 企画書 (kikakusho) — law: the offer by a party of what they have in view
  • Japanese: 提案書 (teiansho) — law: the offer by a party of what they have in view
  • Polish: oferta — law: the offer by a party of what they have in view
  • Polish: wniosek — law: the offer by a party of what they have in view
  • Portuguese: proposta — law: the offer by a party of what they have in view
  • Tagalog: munakala — law: the offer by a party of what they have in view
  • Arabic: طَلَب الزَّوَاج (ṭalab az-zawāj) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Belarusian: прапано́ва (prapanóva) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Bulgarian: предложе́ние (predložénie) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Chinese Mandarin: 求婚 (qiúhūn) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Czech: nabídka k sňatku — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Czech: nabídka — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Danish: frieri — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Dutch: huwelijksaanzoek — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Faroese: bønarorð — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Finnish: kosinta — the act of proposing a marriage
  • French: demande en mariage — the act of proposing a marriage
  • German: Heiratsantrag — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Hebrew: זים (zim) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Hindi: प्रस्ताव (prastāv) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Hungarian: leánykérés — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Icelandic: bónorð — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Indonesian: lamaran — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Irish: ceiliúr pósta — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Italian: proposta — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Japanese: 求婚 (kyūkon) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Japanese: プロポーズ (puropōzu) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Korean: 구혼 (guhon) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Korean: 프러포즈 (peureopojeu) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Macedonian: предлог за брак (predlog za brak) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Norwegian Bokmål: frieri — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: frieri — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Iranian Persian: خواسْتِگاری (xâstegâri) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Polish: oświadczyny — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Romanian: cerere în căsătorie — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Russian: предложе́ние (predložénije) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Slovak: ponuka — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Slovene: snubitev — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Swedish: frieri — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Turkish: evlenme teklifi — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Ukrainian: осві́дчення (osvídčennja) — the act of proposing a marriage
  • Ukrainian: осві́дчини (osvídčyny) — the act of proposing a marriage
Real reading context

proposal in complete knowledge articles