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🤔 Believed but doubtful 📋 Expected to do
supposed

supposed

3.7
Expected to do something by rules or plans
  • adjective
  • /səˈpoʊzd/
translation icon : se supone
  • I feel like I'm supposed to do this.

Because that's not like you're supposed to be doing this.

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Examples

  • And what are they supposed to be doing?

  • Seriously, what were we supposed to tell our boys?

    The Prof G Pod – Scott Galloway

  • Him and Tails are supposed to be best friends.

  • All right, so now you are supposed to seal it.

  • I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now.

    Louie's Life

  • Is that how you're supposed to hike these days?

  • The frequency of the purrs are supposed to be healing.

  • The children are supposed to finish their homework before dinner.

  • According to the schedule, you are supposed to arrive by 9 AM.

  • He is supposed to help his little sister with her project.

Synonyms

meant to be
vssupposed
246 3.7

Planned or seen as certain to happen

is about duty and orders, not destiny or intention
bound
vssupposed
  • Formal
23 6.0

Required to do something by law, duty, or agreement

is the general idea of being expected by rules or orders
obligated
vssupposed
20 4.2

Required by law or duty to do something

is about expectation from rules or instructions rather than inner conscience
duty-bound
vssupposed
8 5.8

Feeling you must do something because it is the right thing

is used for rule or instruction based expectation not only moral pressure
obliged
vssupposed
1 4.4

Feeling you must do something because it is polite or right

is about formal expectation from rules, instructions, or orders
required
vssupposed
  • Formal
1.4

Something a rule, law, or official says you must have

is about following orders and being expected by agreement
expected
vssupposed
1.2

Likely to happen or be true

is about being made necessary by rules or agreement rather than probability

Antonyms

voluntary
180 3.7

Given by choice, not because someone forced you or paid you

optional
99 3.3

Not required, so you can choose whether to have or use it

Idioms

isn't someone supposed to
  • Informal
242 7.5

A question used to ask whether someone is expected to do something and to show surprise it has not happened

How Expected

required
  • Formal
1.4
obligated
20 4.2
supposed
3.7
expected
1.2
meant to be
246 3.7

Surface Forms

supposed positive
supposeder comparative
supposedest superlative

Morphology

supposed = suppose (semi-transparent) = suppose + ed

Formally 'suppose' + -ed, but the meaning 'expected/required' arises from the idiomatic passive construction 'be supposed to' and is not fully predictable from 'suppose' alone.

Etymology

Supposed comes from the same Latin parts sub- 'under' and ponere 'to put', and over time it began to mean an expectation that is 'put on' someone. So when you are 'supposed to' do something, it means a rule or duty has been placed on you.