proposition

UK: /ˌprɒpəˈzɪʃ^ən/ US: /ˌprɑpəˈzɪʃən/ ,(prop′ə zish′ən)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

prop•o•si•tion /ˌprɑpəˈzɪʃən/   n. [countable]

1. the act of proposing.
2. a plan or scheme proposed;
   anything stated for discussion.
3. an offer of terms, as for a business deal.
4. a thing, matter, or person considered as something to be dealt with or encountered:
   Climbing that mountain is a tough proposition.
5. a proposal, hint, or suggestion to have sexual relations.

v. [~ + object]

6. to propose having sexual relations with.

See -pos-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

prop•o•si•tion  (prop′ə zish′ən), n. 

1. the act of offering or suggesting something to be considered, accepted, adopted, or done.
2. a plan or scheme proposed.
3. an offer of terms for a transaction, as in business.
4. a thing, matter, or person considered as something to be dealt with or encountered:
   Keeping diplomatic channels open is a serious proposition.
5. anything stated or affirmed for discussion or illustration.
6. Rhetoric a statement of the subject of an argument or a discourse, or of the course of action or essential idea to be advocated.
7. Philosophy [Logic.] a statement in which something is affirmed or denied, so that it can therefore be significantly characterized as either true or false.
8. Mathematics a formal statement of either a truth to be demonstrated or an operation to be performed;
   a theorem or a problem.
9. a proposal of usually illicit sexual relations.

v.t. 

10. to propose sexual relations to.
11. to propose a plan, deal, etc., to.

• Latin prōpositiōn- (stem of prōpositiō) a setting forth. See propositus, -ion
• Middle English proposicio(u)n 1300–50

prop′o•si′tion•al, adj. 
prop′o•si′tion•al•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 2. See proposal. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

proposition / ˌprɒpəˈzɪʃən/ noun

1. a proposal or topic presented for consideration
2. the content of a sentence that affirms or denies something and is capable of being true or false
3. the meaning of such a sentence: I am warm always expresses the same proposition whoever the speaker is
   Compare statement9
4. a statement or theorem, usually containing its proof
5. a person or matter to be dealt with: he's a difficult proposition
6. an invitation to engage in sexual intercourse

verb

1. (transitive) to propose a plan, deal, etc, to, esp to engage in sexual intercourse

Etymology: 14th Century proposicioun, from Latin prōpositiō a setting forth; see propose

ˌpropoˈsitional adjective