# supposed

/səˈpoʊzd/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/supposed
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. expected or required

verb · CEFR B1

used to say what someone should do because of a rule, a plan, or an expectation.

For teachers: used in the passive 'be supposed to' to indicate an obligation, a social expectation, or a planned arrangement.

- You are supposed to show your ticket before you get on the train.
- The interns were supposed to submit their weekly reports by Friday afternoon, but several of them missed the deadline due to the server outage.

Usage: Always used with the verb 'to be' and followed by a 'to' infinitive.

### 2. claimed but not proven

adjective · CEFR B2

believed to be true by some people, but perhaps not actually true.

For teachers: held to be true or existing on the basis of report or belief, often with an implication of doubt.

- The supposed expert didn't actually know how to fix the computer.
- The supposed benefits of the new tax policy were heavily debated by economists, many of whom argued the data was misleading.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it describes.

## Examples

- You are supposed to wear a seatbelt in the car.
- The train was supposed to arrive at noon, but it was delayed by an hour due to the heavy snow.
- While the policy was supposed to encourage transparency within the department, the lack of clear guidelines led to further confusion among the staff members.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.