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propitious

adjective
pro·​pi·​tious | \ prÉ™-ˈpi-shÉ™s How to pronounce propitious (audio) \

Definition of propitious

1 : favorably disposed : benevolent
2 : being a good omen : auspicious propitious sign
3 : tending to favor : advantageous
Other Words from propitious Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about propitious

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Other Words from propitious

propitiously adverb
propitiousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for propitious

favorable, auspicious, propitious mean pointing toward a happy outcome. favorable implies that the persons involved are approving or helpful or that the circumstances are advantageous. favorable weather conditions auspicious applies to something taken as a sign or omen promising success before or at the start of an event. an auspicious beginning propitious may also apply to beginnings but often implies a continuing favorable condition. a propitious time for starting a business

Did You Know?

Propitious, which comes to us through Middle English from the Latin word propitius (same meaning as "propitious"), is a synonym of "favorable" and "auspicious." All three essentially mean "pointing toward a happy outcome," with some differences of emphasis. "Favorable" implies that the persons involved in a situation are approving or helpful, or that circumstances are advantageous ("favorable weather conditions"). "Auspicious" usually applies to a sign or omen that promises success before or at the start of an event ("an auspicious beginning"). "Propitious" may also apply to beginnings, but it often suggests a continuing promising condition ("propitious conditions for an alliance").

Examples of propitious in a Sentence

Now is a propitious time to start a business. the success of the first big movie in May was a propitious start for the summer season of blockbusters

Recent Examples on the Web

 The moment was propitious: GE just announced that its CFO is leaving, raising questions among money managers of bad news to come. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "The Most Fascinating Standoff in Corporate America: The Accountant Who Exposed Madoff vs. GE," 17 Aug. 2019 Winning was his colossal if propitious miscalculation. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "Interpreting the Trump Meteor," 18 Dec. 2018 So looked at one way, the sit down with Putin came at a propitious time. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Trump scores on his own goal," 16 July 2018 Businessmen might go to one to select a propitious date to launch a new venture. — The Economist, "Prophets and profitsIn South Korea fortune-telling will soon be a $3.7bn business," 24 Feb. 2018 The market is propitious, yet a metropolis’s crackle comes from the variety of its people and the intertwining of disparate lives. — Justin Davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "Downtown Nashville Is Supposed to Be the Model of the Walkable 21st-Century City. I’m Not So Sure.," 8 June 2018 Somewhere like Arcadia, where the median price per square foot is 50 percent higher than in Los Angeles proper, and where $7 million teardown listings tout propitious feng shui. — Scott Garner, Town & Country, "How Arcadia, California Became the Next Calabasas," 9 Aug. 2017 Source: Thor Industries It’s a propitious time for towable RVs. — Bloomberg.com, "Airstream Sheds Its Metal With the New ‘Nest’," 12 Apr. 2018 The omens are propitious for a major advance in trade relations. — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "Trump’s Trade Tactic Might Work," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'propitious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of propitious

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for propitious

Middle English propycyous, from Anglo-French propicius, from Latin propitius, probably from pro- for + petere to seek — more at pro-, feather

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More Definitions for propitious

propitious

adjective
How to pronounce propitious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of propitious

formal : likely to have or produce good results

See the full definition for propitious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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More from Merriam-Webster on propitious

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with propitious

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for propitious

Spanish Central: Translation of propitious

Nglish: Translation of propitious for Spanish Speakers

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