promote

verb

pro·​mote prə-ˈmōt How to pronounce promote (audio)
promoted; promoting

transitive verb

1
a
: to advance in station, rank, or honor : raise
b
: to change (a pawn) into a piece in chess by moving to the eighth rank
c
: to advance (a student) from one grade to the next higher grade
2
a
: to contribute to the growth or prosperity of : further
promote international understanding
b
: to help bring (something, such as an enterprise) into being : launch
c
: to present (merchandise) for buyer acceptance through advertising, publicity, or discounting
3
slang : to get possession of by doubtful means or by ingenuity
promotability noun
promotable adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for promote

advance, promote, forward, further mean to help (someone or something) to move ahead.

advance stresses effective assisting in hastening a process or bringing about a desired end.

advance the cause of peace

promote suggests an encouraging or fostering and may denote an increase in status or rank.

a campaign to promote better health

forward implies an impetus forcing something ahead.

a wage increase would forward productivity

further suggests a removing of obstacles in the way of a desired advance.

used the marriage to further his career

Examples of promote in a Sentence

He was promoted to senior editor. The army major was promoted to lieutenant colonel. The team have been promoted to the First Division. Mediators were present to promote dialogue. Good soil promotes plant growth. The school distributed pamphlets promoting good dental hygiene. The marketing department is busy promoting the new line of men's clothes for fall. The island is being promoted as a destination for romantic getaways.
Recent Examples on the Web For instance, an airline might promote a small recycling program but fail to address its massive carbon footprint. Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 As for the finance fam, Vincent Moyo is promoted to director of commercial finance, four years in; Grace Styles approaches her three-year mark with a promotion to management accountant; Savannah Puleston bumps up to operations and events coordinator, nearly two years after joining Merlin. Marc Schneider, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2024 An article on Wednesday about Zimbabwe’s accusations that deported U.S. officials were promoting a regime change in the country misstated the conditions of the expulsion two years ago of Larry Garber, an American democracy consultant with The Carter Center. New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Reddit stopped promoting NoNewNormal to users who weren’t members but didn’t shutter it. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 Chipotle is promoting the return with free delivery from March 14-24 on all Chicken al Pastor orders made on the Chipotle app or online in the United States and Canada, the news release said. Fielding Buck, Orange County Register, 14 Mar. 2024 Fellow Sunnyvale resident Cortney Jansen, who is also in favor of the by-trustee-area election format, said the new system will promote equity during the election period, as people will only need to budget and plan for campaigns in their areas. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 How Long To Boil Tap Water According to Li, boiling your water for approximately two to five minutes effectively promotes the precipitation of minerals and the entrapment of microplastics. Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 14 Mar. 2024 He was promoted to CEO a year later and, in 1975, convinced its parent company, Time Inc., to transmit HBO‘s signal nationwide via satellite. Michaela Zee, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'promote.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin promotus, past participle of promovēre, literally, to move forward, from pro- forward + movēre to move

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of promote was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near promote

Cite this Entry

“Promote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promote. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

promote

verb
pro·​mote prə-ˈmōt How to pronounce promote (audio)
promoted; promoting
1
: to move up in position or rank
was promoted to the next grade
2
: to help (something) grow or develop
good soil promotes plant growth
3
: to help increase the sales of
a sports star promoting a new product

Medical Definition

promote

transitive verb
pro·​mote prə-ˈmōt How to pronounce promote (audio)
promoted; promoting
: to cause or contribute to the growth, development, or occurrence of
sugary drinks promote cavities
a diet that promotes good health

More from Merriam-Webster on promote

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