project

1 of 2

noun

proj·​ect ˈprä-ˌjekt How to pronounce project (audio)
-jikt,
 also  ˈprō-
1
: a specific plan or design : scheme
2
obsolete : idea
3
: a planned undertaking: such as
a
: a definitely formulated piece of research
b
: a large usually government-supported undertaking
c
: a task or problem engaged in usually by a group of students to supplement and apply classroom studies
4
: a usually public housing development consisting of houses or apartments built and arranged according to a single plan

project

2 of 2

verb

pro·​ject prə-ˈjekt How to pronounce project (audio)
projected; projecting; projects

transitive verb

1
a
: to devise in the mind : design
b
: to plan, figure, or estimate for the future
2
: to throw or cast forward : thrust
3
: to put or set forth : present for consideration
4
: to cause to jut out
5
: to cause (light or shadow) to fall into space or (an image) to fall on a surface
6
: to reproduce (something, such as a point, line, or area) on a surface by motion in a prescribed direction
7
: to display outwardly especially to an audience
8
: to attribute (one's own ideas, feelings, or characteristics) to other people or to objects
a nation is an entity on which one can project many of the worst of one's instinctsThe Times Literary Supplement (London)

intransitive verb

1
: to jut out : protrude
2
a
: to come across vividly : give an impression
b
: to make oneself heard clearly
projectable adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for project

plan, design, plot, scheme, project mean a method devised for making or doing something or achieving an end.

plan always implies mental formulation and sometimes graphic representation.

plans for a house

design often suggests a particular pattern and some degree of achieved order or harmony.

a design for a new dress

plot implies a laying out in clearly distinguished sections with attention to their relations and proportions.

the plot of the play

scheme stresses calculation of the end in view and may apply to a plan motivated by craftiness and self-interest.

a scheme to defraud the government

project often stresses imaginative scope and vision.

a project to develop the waterfront

Examples of project in a Sentence

Noun an ambitious project to develop the city's waterfront Verb He projected next year's costs as being slightly higher than this year's. It's difficult to project funding needs so far into the future. an athlete who projects a positive image to young people We need an actor who projects a tough-guy image.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Orange County teams, aspiring to win the Orange Cup, will present their projects April 17 at Chapman University. Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2024 Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 46,000 new projects have been announced across your communities – modernizing our roads and bridges, ports and airports, and public transit systems. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Following his 2021 project Far From Gaz, Salazar decided to part ways with his label. Brenda Barrientos, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 Will the streaming spigot slow to a trickle, forcing auteurs to find new homes for their pricey passion projects? Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 This week’s batch includes new projects from Ariana Grande; Kim Gordon; MIKE & Tony Seltzer; Kahil El’Zabar & Ethnic Heritage Ensemble; Moor Mother; Bolis Pupul; Haux; Meatbodies; and Dave Harrington, Max Jaffe & Patrick Shiroishi. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 8 Mar. 2024 Before wrapping her conversation with PEOPLE at the Billboard Women in Music event on Wednesday, the Grammy winner was happy to discuss her upcoming project Cassandra. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024 That project sent quite a few songs to the Hot 100, upping her count significantly. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Verb
Although they were seeded behind the Trojans in the conference tournament, the Bruins (25-6) recently were projected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament by ESPN. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Together, those initiatives are projected to leave Maryland with a roughly $3.4 billion shortfall three years from now, legislative analysts calculated. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Point your phone toward the sun and project the eclipse onto a piece of white paper or cardboard several feet away. The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 Today, those who begin taking the drug in early adolescence, a recent study projected, can expect to survive to age 82.5—an essentially normal life span. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 Analysts projected Gap would generate $4.22 billion in revenue, or 23 cents per share. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 But big things are on the way with a major development project called Ashton Park that is projected to add thousands of homes and about 5 million square feet of retail and commercial space to the area. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Until the miners volunteer data on their present and projected energy consumption and terms of their power contracts, those who disagree with Bratcher’s analysis must build their case on top of projections and anecdotal evidence. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 Super Tuesday exit polls in North Carolina show Trump wins widespread, strong support In North Carolina, where Trump was projected to win a little over half an hour after polls closed, the former president had widespread, strong support across demographic groups, according to CBS News exit polls. Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'project.' 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

Noun

Middle English projecte, from Medieval Latin projectum, from Latin, neuter of projectus, past participle of proicere to throw forward, from pro- + jacere to throw — more at jet

Verb

Anglo-French projecter, from Latin projectus, past participle

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of project was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near project

Cite this Entry

“Project.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/project. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

project

1 of 2 noun
proj·​ect ˈpräj-ˌekt How to pronounce project (audio)
-ikt
1
: a plan or scheme to do something
2
: a task or problem in school
my science project
3
: a group of houses or apartment buildings built according to a single plan
especially : one built with government help to provide low-cost housing

project

2 of 2 verb
pro·​ject prə-ˈjekt How to pronounce project (audio)
1
a
: to work out in the mind
b
: to plan, figure, or estimate for the future
project next year's costs
2
: to throw forward
3
4
: to cause to fall upon a surface
project motion pictures on a screen

Medical Definition

project

transitive verb
pro·​ject prə-ˈjekt How to pronounce project (audio)
: to attribute or assign (something in one's own mind or a personal characteristic) to a person, group, or object
the patient projected hostility onto the therapist

intransitive verb

: to connect by sending nerve fibers or processes
cells of the lateral geniculate body project to the back part of the cerebral cortex

More from Merriam-Webster on project

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!