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
Gagnon Da Cunha Teles said that the key to creating sustainable businesses lay in generating sufficient profits that can be invested in the development of new shows and to cashflow new projects. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 Installation costs would have to drop to £1,000, the project group said, to make the new technology worth investing in. Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 The Rio Rancho, New Mexico project will modernize two fabrication sites into the largest advanced packaging facility in the country. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 And jobs at the startups can mean laboring on projects that never see the light of day or sitting at a cubicle for 80 or 90 hours a week. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 Accompanying the awards show are two days of panels and talks designed to give honorees the opportunity to discuss their projects. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 After Beyoncé, artists like Kendrick Lamar (untitled) and Drake (Dark Lane Demo Tapes) dropped surprise projects, while J. Cole’s 2018 project KOD dropped after just four days of leadup. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024 Intel also plans to take advantage of federal tax credits on up to 25 percent of its capital expenditures on the projects, administration officials said. Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 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
Verb
Despite knowing that her innate talents and drive got her to this point, Ralph still projects a sense of awe and gratitude when talking about her life. Evette Dionne, SELF, 21 Mar. 2024 Instead, welcome Panoramic Vision, which projects key information across the width of the windscreen base. Jason Barlow, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2024 Coresight projects dollar and discount stores, which brought in about $76.5 billion in revenue 2022, will grow 27 percent in 2027. Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 The agency projected last year that the more ambitious rule could lead to 67% of new passenger cars sold in the U.S. being electric by 2032. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 While more than 172,000 were installed last year, analysts project that the nation will need more than two million chargers by 2030 to support the growth in electric vehicles envisioned by the E.P.A. regulation. Coral Davenport, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 At one point in the fall of 2022, a model by Bloomberg projected a 100% risk of a US recession over the following 12 months. Matt Egan, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Ohio 2024 primary results: Biden, Trump projected to win Connections to the likes of DeWine and Portman were practically used as slurs in the primary race. Rick Klein, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 With no candidate projected to win a majority of the vote in the district, the top two candidates, regardless of party, will now move on to an election on May 21. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 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 28 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

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