Propounded

Propounded is the past tense and past participle of the verb propound. It means to put forward for consideration, discussion, or examination, usually in a formal or deliberate way. Propound is transitive and typically appears with objects such as theories, ideas, proposals, questions, doctrines, or arguments. In scholarly or philosophical writing, one might say that a scholar propounded a new theory or that a committee propounded a set of questions for debate.

Etymology and usage often reflect its formal tone. The word derives from Latin proponere, meaning to put forth or place forward, and entered English via Old French and Middle English. Because of its formal register, propound is more common in intellectual, legal, or religious contexts than in everyday conversation. The passive construction is frequent in historical or analytical writing: “A theory was propounded by X.”

In practice, propound emphasizes the act of presenting something for serious consideration rather than merely proposing it informally. It can carry a sense of argument or justification attached to the presentation. For example, a philosopher may propound a theory with supporting reasons, while a judge might propound a question to a jury or audience during a trial or moot court.

See also: propose, present, put forward, formulate.