Other forms: propositions, propositioned
A proposition is a statement that is either true or false — the door is locked, all swans are white. In logic that is the whole job of the word: something you can set a true or a false against.
Outside logic it means an offer or a plan put to somebody: a business proposition, an attractive proposition, he came to me with a proposition. It also names a thing you have to deal with, sized up for difficulty or cost — a tricky proposition, an expensive proposition, playing them away from home is a different proposition. In American politics a proposition is a measure voters decide on directly, as in Proposition 8. And there is a verb to know about before you use it by accident: to proposition someone is to suggest sex to them. Keep the verb for that meaning alone — for the ordinary sense, say propose, or put a proposal to somebody.
1nounpropositionA statement that can be judged true or false.
“In logic a proposition is either true or false, and nothing else.”
2nounplanA plan or offer put to someone for consideration.
“He turned up on Saturday with a proposition about sharing the workshop.”
3noundealtA thing to be dealt with, judged by how hard or costly it is.
“Heating a house that size is an expensive proposition.”
4nounmeasureA measure put directly to voters in a United States election.
“The proposition passed with fifty-four percent of the vote.”
5verbsuggestTo suggest sex to someone.
“She was propositioned by a stranger at the bar and left.”
proposition is a statement.
proPOSITION → the POSITION you put forward
It is a position you put forward, and the others say true or false to it.
hooks ontoposition
Latin prōpositiō was built on the verb prōponō, the same verb standing behind propose and proposal. Old French made it proposicion and Middle English proposicioun before English trimmed it to the modern spelling. Every sense still fits that frame — a proposition is something set out in front of you to judge, accept or refuse.
Latin
prōpositiō
Old French
proposicion
Middle English
proposicioun
English, today
proposition
From Middle English proposicioun, from Old French proposicion, from Latin prōpositiō, from the verb prōponō.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Logic & Argument, Marketing & Advertising