suppose

suppose

UK[səˈpəʊz]US[səˈpoʊz]
v

to think or believe that something is true or possible, often without being certain

v

to be required or expected to do or be something according to a rule, plan, or custom

Morpheme Breakdown

sup
pose
sup

under, below

pose

to place, put

Etymology

the word 'suppose' entered english in the late 14th century from old french 'supposer', which itself derived from latin 'supponere'. this latin verb is a compound of 'sub-' (meaning 'under') and 'ponere' (meaning 'to place'). the original literal sense was 'to place under' or 'to substitute', which evolved into the logical notion of 'to assume as a basis for argument' or 'to consider as a hypothesis'. over time, this logical meaning softened into its current primary sense of tentatively believing something to be true or accepting it as a possibility, reflecting a shift from a formal, logical substitution to a common cognitive act.

Analysis

Structure: sup + pose sup- (variant of 'sub-', from latin, meaning 'under, below'); -pose (from latin 'ponere', meaning 'to place, put')

Examples

i suppose you're right about the meeting time.

you are supposed to wear a helmet while cycling.

let us suppose, for the sake of argument, that the project is completed on time.