SUPPOSED


Meaning of SUPPOSED in English

-zd sometimes -zə̇d adjective

Etymology: from past participle of suppose (I)

1.

a. : believed to be or accepted as such usually on slight grounds or in error : erroneously imputed or ascribed

the supposed necessary laws of economics — M.R.Cohen

also : imagined

certain supposed evils which perhaps are not very real evils — A.B.Walkley

b. : expected — used in the phrase be supposed to

the United States was supposed to present the greatest ratification difficulties — E.P.Chase

c. : understood — used in the phrase be supposed to

you will be supposed to refer to my grandaunt — G.B.Shaw

2.

a. : pretended — used in the phrase be supposed to

twelve hours are supposed to elapse between Acts I and II — A.S.Sullivan

b. : alleged — used in the phrase be supposed to

we are supposed to be stable and weary and lacking new ideas — A.E.Stevenson b. 1900

3.

a. : intended — used in the phrase be supposed to

it explains considerable but has to be strained beyond belief to explain all it is supposed to — H.J.Muller

b. : designed — used in the phrase be supposed to

what's that button supposed to do

4.

a. : under orders : required — used in the phrase be supposed to

the soldier … was supposed to furl the side flaps in the morning — Norman Mailer

b. : permitted — used in the phrase be supposed to

you're not supposed to leave the guardroom at all this morning — Robert Lowry

• sup·pos·ed·ly -zə̇dlē, -li adverb

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.