proponent

[ pruh-poh-nuhnt ]

noun

1. a person who puts forward a proposition or proposal.
2. a person who argues in favor of something; an advocate.

   Synonyms: enthusiast, champion, supporter

3. a person who supports a cause or doctrine; adherent.

   Synonyms: enthusiast, champion, supporter

4. a person who propounds a legal instrument, such as a will for probate.

proponent

/ prəˈpəʊnənt /

noun

1. a person who argues in favour of something
2. law a person who seeks probate of a will

Word History and Origins

Origin of proponent¹

First recorded in 1580–90, proponent is from the Latin word prōpōnent- (stem of prōpōnēns ). See propone, -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of proponent¹

C16: from Latin prōpōnere to propose

Example Sentences

But it was the Sierra Club, influenced by its first executive director, David Brower, that emerged as a leading proponent of the notion that the earth had a carrying capacity — that there was an optimum number for the planet’s population to be held at.

From Salon

Having lost the backing of the Sierra Club, America’s anti-immigration movement turned more explicitly to climate change — and to one of Zuckerman’s Sierra Club colleagues, Leon Kolankiewicz, an environmental planner versed in sprawl and impact studies and a longtime proponent of the idea that the planet had a limited carrying capacity.

From Salon

He was both an old associate of Tanton’s and a leading proponent of the great replacement theory.

From Salon

A proposition coined as a “revenge measure” was added to the ballot, targeting how a healthcare foundation that is a prime proponent of rent control measures could spend their revenue.

From Los Angeles Times

But the issue’s biggest proponent on a national ticket?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• advocate
• backer
• defender
• enthusiast
• exponent
• partisan
• patron
• protector
• supporter