English Reference

Word

promote

Phoneticspro·mote, stress on the second syllable

US/pɹəˈmoʊt/

UK/pɹəmˈəʊt/

Definitions

01to raise in rank

B1 · Intermediate

v. to give someone a more important job or a higher position in a company.

v. to elevate an employee to a more senior, responsible, or higher-paid position within an organisational hierarchy.

“After three years of hard work, the company decided to promote her to manager.”

“The board of directors voted unanimously to promote the chief operating officer to the role of CEO following the successful merger.”

Usage

Often used in the passive voice: 'She was promoted to...'

Antonyms

demote

02to encourage or support

B1 · Intermediate

v. to help something happen, develop, or become more popular.

v. to contribute to the progress or growth of something; to foster or advocate for a particular cause or practice.

“The government is trying to promote healthy eating in schools.”

“The international summit aimed to promote sustainable development goals across emerging economies through shared technological investment.”

03to advertise

B1 · Intermediate

v. to use advertising to tell people about a product so they will buy it.

v. to publicise a product, service, or event in order to increase sales or public awareness.

“The band is touring the country to promote their new album.”

“The marketing department launched a multi-channel campaign to promote the luxury vehicle to a younger demographic.”

Synonyms

advertisepublicisemarket

04sports league advancement

B2 · Upper Intermediate Sports British English

v. to move a sports team up to a better or higher league.

v. to advance a sports team to a higher division or league, typically as a result of their performance in the previous season.

“If they win this match, the team will be promoted to the Premier League.”

“After a decade in the lower divisions, the club was finally promoted to the top flight following a dramatic final-day victory.”

Usage

Commonly used in the passive voice in British English sports contexts.

Synonyms

Antonyms

relegate

05chess

C1 · Advanced Technical

v. to change a pawn into a more powerful piece, like a queen, when it reaches the end of the board.

v. to exchange a pawn for any piece of the same colour except a king when it reaches the opponent's end of the board.

“He managed to get his pawn to the last row and promote it to a queen.”

“The grandmaster chose to promote the pawn to a knight rather than a queen to deliver an immediate checkmate.”

06computing data types

C1 · Advanced Computing Technical

v. to change a piece of data into a more complex type so the computer can process it.

v. to convert a data value from a lower-precision type to a higher-precision type, such as converting an integer to a float.

“The software will automatically promote the integer to a decimal during the calculation.”

“Implicit type conversion will promote the variable to a double-precision floating point to prevent loss of data during the division operation.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

demote

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “promote” in context.

Verb

01. actively promote

“Teachers should actively promote critical thinking in the classroom.”

adv + verb

02. promote activity

“The new park was designed to promote physical activity among local residents.”

verb + noun

03. promote autonomy

“The manager tries to promote autonomy by letting employees choose their own tasks.”

verb + noun

04. promote awareness

“The campaign aims to promote awareness of mental health issues.”

verb + noun

05. promote communication

“Open-plan offices are intended to promote communication between teams.”

verb + noun

06. promote development

“The government is offering grants to promote the development of green energy.”

verb + noun

07. promote growth

“Lowering interest rates is one way to promote economic growth.”

verb + noun

08. promote health

“The school introduced a new menu to promote health and nutrition.”

verb + noun

09. promote image

“The company hired a PR firm to promote its brand image abroad.”

verb + noun

10. promote improvement

“Feedback sessions are designed to promote improvement in student performance.”

verb + noun

11. promote interest

“The documentary was made to promote interest in wildlife conservation.”

verb + noun

12. promote well-being

“Regular exercise and a balanced diet promote overall well-being.”

verb + noun

Etymology

From Latin prōmōtus, perfect passive participle of prōmoveō (“move forward, advance”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

VERB

promote(B1)

Domains

ChemistryProgrammingSports

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
Frequency
Common
Level
B1 · IntermediateOxford
Updated

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