promote
UK[prəˈməʊt]US[prəˈmoʊt]
v
to help something to happen or develop
v
to move someone to a higher rank or more senior job
v
to encourage people to like, buy, use, or support something
Morpheme Breakdown
pro
mote
pro
forward
mote
move
Etymology
the word 'promote' entered english in the late 14th century from the latin 'promovere', meaning 'to move forward, advance'. this latin verb is a compound of the prefix 'pro-' ('forward') and the verb 'movere' ('to move'). the core logic of moving something forward persisted as the meaning evolved from physical advancement to the figurative advancement of a person's career, a cause, or the growth of an idea. thus, the modern abstract meanings of encouraging development, raising in rank, or publicizing a product all stem from this fundamental sense of causing forward motion.
Analysis
Structure: pro (forward) + mote (move)
pro- (prefix of Latin origin, meaning 'forward, forth, in favor of'); -mote (from the Latin root 'mot-', meaning 'to move')
Examples
the government is committed to promoting economic growth.
she was promoted to senior manager after just two years with the company.
the band is touring to promote their new album.