Proposition

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌpɹɑpəˈzɪʃən/

Definitions

1. An idea or plan put forward for consideration ; a statement that asserts a belief or judgment ; a declarative expression that can be true or false in logic or mathematics
2. A recommended course of action to be accepted or rejected ; a phrase stating a viewpoint or assessment ; a formal assertion used in reasoning or analytical disciplines
3. A proposal presented for acceptance or rejection ; a declarative sentence expressing an idea or claim ; a logical or mathematical assertion that is either true or false

Etymology: "Proposition" arrived in English in Middle English as "proposicioun," borrowed from Old French, which had taken it from Latin "prōpositiō." The Latin noun came from the verb "prōpōnere," meaning to put forward or set before, built from "prō" (forward) and "pōnere" (to place). The core image is simply placing something in front of someone for them to look at, consider, or act on. That physical sense of setting something out before others is still visible in the modern meanings. A proposition can be a plan offered for a group to weigh, a claim put forward for agreement, or, in logic and mathematics, a declarative statement that is either true or false. In each case the word describes something laid out for judgment rather than something already settled.

Synonyms: proposal, suggestion, idea

Antonyms: rejection