proposition

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1. The noun proposition has various well-established meanings arising from its basic sense of 'something proposed', e.g. a scheme or proposal, a statement in logic that is subject to proof or disproof, and a formal statement of a theorem or problem in mathematics. A more generalized meaning, 'an enterprise or undertaking', was regarded by Fowler (1926) as an intrusive Americanism which he wanted to see abandoned in favour of alternatives such as proposal, task, undertaking, enterprise, etc. Clearly this advice has not been heeded, and it would be difficult to sustain such an objection now in the face of the overwhelming evidence of usage. Note that proposition is normally used with reference to the viability or likely success of the thing in question:

'Call this a store?' he would say. 'Call this a paying proposition?'—A. Tyler, 1980

Tinkering with the possibilities becomes an enticing proposition—D. Shekerjian, 1990.

2. The use of proposition as a verb arose in America in the 1920s in two main meanings: (1) to present (someone) with a proposition, and (2) to request sexual favours from. The second meaning is now usually the one that comes first to mind:

In Hyde Park, that black whore had propositioned him as he walked from work toward the Tube—New Yorker, 1975.

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noun

Something that is put forward for consideration: proposal, submission, suggestion. See offer.

n

Definition: suggestion; scheme
Antonyms: condemnation, denial, opposition, refusal, rejection

That which is proposed or stated; the content of a declarative sentence, capable of truth and falsity. To grasp a proposition is to understand what is said, supposed, suggested, and so on. The same proposition is expressed by any two sentences, from the same or different languages, that are synonymous, or correctly intertranslatable (where translation is judged without regard to tone, rhythm, and other implicatures). The doctrine of the indeterminacy of radical translation casts doubt on the objectivity of this test, and some philosophers, notably Quine, have concluded that no respectable criteria of identity for propositions can be given. For some philosophers, propositions are the primary bearers of truth and falsity, with sentences only true and false derivatively, in virtue of expressing true and false propositions, but for others propositions are the doubtful shadows of what is empirically given, which are utterances in specific contexts. See also propositional attitudes.

IN BRIEF: A statement to be accepted or rejected. Also: Something which must be dealt with.

That some good can be derived from every event is a better proposition than that everything happens for the best, which it assuredly does not. — James K. Feibleman

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For a list of words related to proposition, see:

• Party Functions and Political Practices - proposition: idea set forth for debate
• Elections and Campaigns - proposition: statement of issue or suggested plan placed on ballot for direct popular vote on whether it will become law
• Logic - proposition: point to be discussed, proved, disproved, or maintained in argument
• Reason and Rationale - proposition: anything stated for consideration or discussion or to be proved

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  See crossword solutions for the clue Proposition.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - erklæring, forslag, foretagende, læresætning
v. tr. - henvende sig til en med et forslag, antaste

Nederlands (Dutch)
stelling, voorstel, probleem, onderneming

Français (French)
n. - thèse, assertion, (Math, Philos) proposition, affaire, avances (à qn)
v. tr. - faire une proposition à (qn)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Vorschlag, Aussage, Satz
v. - (Slang) einer Frau Geschlechtsverkehr vorschlagen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πρόταση (ιδ. ανήθικη), δήλωση, δουλειά, πρόβλημα, σχέδιο, υπόθεση

Italiano (Italian)
proposta, proposizione, tesi

Português (Portuguese)
n. - proposição (f)

Русский (Russian)
предложение, заявление

Español (Spanish)
n. - proposición, propuesta, oferta, tesis
v. tr. - hacer una propuesta u oferta, proponer

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - påstående, förslag, affär, skamligt förslag

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
提议, 建议, 命题, 求欢, 挑逗, 主题, 向求欢, 提出猥亵的要求

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 提議, 建議, 命題, 求歡, 挑逗, 主題
v. tr. - 向求歡, 提出猥褻的要求

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 제안, 건의
v. tr. - ~ 에게 제안하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 提案, 陳述, 命題, 定理, 相手, 仕事, 誘い, 発議, 企画, 問題
v. - 誘いをかける

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) اقتراح, عرض, مقترح, قضيه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮טענה, הצעה, הנחה, משפט פשוט (נושא ונשוא), דבר שיש להתמודד איתו, בעיה, תוכנית, משפט (במתמטיקה), הצעה מגונה, עסק או אדם כשמדובר בסיכוייו להצליח‬
v. tr. - ‮הציע הצעה מגונה‬

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Some good "proposition" pages on the web: