project
project — noun
1. a task or set of activities with a specific aim, finished step by step across da
a task or set of activities with a specific aim, finished step by step across days or months and usually involving several people.
The city council approved a new project to build a public library near the river.
collocation: project + to-infinitive for goal
Benjamin joined a research project on solar energy at the university last spring.
A team of engineers is working on a project to improve the city's water system.
collocation: work on a project
The software project was finished two months ahead of the original deadline.
Nikhil presented his project proposal to the board of directors this morning.
collocation: project proposal
- work on a project
- project manager
- project plan
- complete a project
- research project
- construction project
- undertaking
more formal; suggests something ambitious or difficult
- scheme
British English; sometimes implies a plan that is not fully developed
- venture
emphasizes risk or business context
2. a task given to students that requires them to study a subject in detail and pre
a task given to students that requires them to study a subject in detail and present what they have learned.
Ilan built a model of the solar system for her science project.
collocation: science / history / art project
The teacher told the class to work on their history projects in groups of four.
Hoa spent the whole weekend finishing her project on ancient Chinese inventions.
Students must hand in their end-of-term projects by next Friday afternoon.
collocation: hand in / submit a project
Each student chose a different country to study for the geography project.
- school project
- science project
- history project
- class project
- group project
- work on a project
- assignment
broader term; can be a single exercise rather than a long study
- report
focuses on the written output rather than the whole task
- presentation
emphasizes the spoken component of a school project
3. apartment blocks or houses financed by the government to provide low-cost homes
apartment blocks or houses financed by the government to provide low-cost homes for families with limited income.
The city built a new housing project for low-income families near the train station.
variety: American English; collocation: housing project
Padma's family moved into the housing project after their rent became too high.
The housing project includes a playground, a small clinic, and a community center.
A group of volunteers runs an after-school program at the local housing project.
- housing project
- live in a housing project
- build a housing project
- public housing project
- public housing
more neutral term; less specific to a single group of buildings
- housing development
broader; can be privately built as well
- housing estate
British English equivalent for a group of houses built together
Usage Note
Frequently shortened to 'the projects' in informal American English. This sense is rare in British English.
Common Mistakes
project — verb
1. to use available information to calculate or predict a future amount, number, or
to use available information to calculate or predict a future amount, number, or situation.
The company projects that its sales will grow by 15 percent next year.
project + that-clause for future estimate
The cost of the new bridge is projected at 2 billion dollars.
passive: be projected at [amount]
Economists project that housing prices will keep rising in the capital.
Kofi projects a 10 percent increase in profits for the next quarter.
Student numbers are projected to reach 5,000 by the year 2030.
passive: be projected + to-infinitive
- project an increase
- project growth
- project a loss
- project costs
- project revenue
Grammar Patterns
project + that-clause
be projected + to-infinitive
project + noun phrase + at [amount]
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive voice. Typical subjects are companies, governments, or research institutions rather than individuals making personal guesses.
Common Mistakes
2. to send something hurtling forward by pushing or flinging it, often at high spee
to send something hurtling forward by pushing or flinging it, often at high speed.
The ancient catapult projected a heavy stone over the castle wall during the siege.
The goalkeeper projected himself forward to block the ball from entering the goal.
Molten rock was projected high into the air when the volcano erupted.
passive: be projected + direction
A powerful stream of water was projected from the fire hose across the street.
- project forward
- project through the air
- project over something
- catch
receiving instead of sending forward
Usage Note
Formal or literary register. For everyday physical throwing, 'throw' or 'hurl' are more common.
3. to make your voice or singing travel clearly so that people at a distance can he
to make your voice or singing travel clearly so that people at a distance can hear you.
The singer learned to project her voice to fill the concert hall without a microphone.
collocation: project one's voice
Lukas struggled to project his voice over the noise of the cheering crowd.
Actors train to project their voices so the audience in the back row can hear.
The teacher projected her voice across the playground to call the children inside.
Even without a microphone, the speaker's voice projected clearly to the whole room.
intransitive use: voice projects [adverb]
- project one's voice
- project clearly
- project across a room
- project over noise
- carry
intransitive — 'Her voice carries well' means the same as 'projects well'
Grammar Patterns
project + voice / sound + direction
Usage Note
Often used with 'voice' as the object. The verb can also be used intransitively: 'Her voice projects well in large spaces.'
Common Mistakes
4. to make a picture, film, or light appear on a flat surface such as a screen or w
to make a picture, film, or light appear on a flat surface such as a screen or wall.
The teacher projected a map of Taiwan onto the whiteboard for the geography lesson.
collocation: project [image] onto [surface]
We projected the film onto a white sheet hung between two trees in the garden.
During the presentation, Mauricio projected his slides onto the screen using a laptop.
The planetarium projects images of stars and planets onto the ceiling of the dome.
A small handheld device can project a smartphone screen onto a wall for easier viewing.
- project onto a screen
- project an image
- project a film
- project slides
- project onto a wall
Grammar Patterns
project + noun + onto + noun
5. to assume, often in error, that another person has the same emotions, wishes, or
to assume, often in error, that another person has the same emotions, wishes, or shortcomings that you yourself have, without being aware of this transfer.
Bao accused his colleague of being dishonest, but he was just projecting his own mistakes.
informal: 'projecting' as shorthand for psychological projection
Walid projected his anger about losing his job onto his wife and children at home.
In therapy, Sivan realized she had been projecting her childhood fears onto her partner.
Her therapist told Nellie she was projecting her own stress onto her friend's laziness.
Parents sometimes project their own unfulfilled dreams onto their children without meaning to.
- project onto
- project feelings
- project fears
- project anger
- project guilt
Grammar Patterns
project + emotion/quality + onto + somebody
Usage Note
Common in psychology as 'projection' (noun). In everyday conversation, people say 'You're projecting' to mean someone is accusing others of faults they themselves have.
Common Mistakes
6. to show a particular quality, attitude, or image to other people through your ap
to show a particular quality, attitude, or image to other people through your appearance or behavior.
The politician tried to project an image of honesty and strength during the interview.
collocation: project an image of [quality]
Sivan projects quiet confidence even when she feels nervous before a big exam.
The company projects a friendly, modern image through its advertisements and store design.
Through his calm voice and steady gaze, Benjamin projected a sense of authority.
A good teacher projects warmth and interest in every student's progress in the class.
- project an image
- project confidence
- project authority
- project warmth
- project a sense of
- convey
softer; suggests the impression is received naturally rather than deliberately sent
- communicate
broader; can be verbal or non-verbal
- emit
more formal; suggests the quality flows out unconsciously
Grammar Patterns
project + noun phrase (quality / image)
Usage Note
The object is always an abstract quality (confidence, authority, warmth) or 'image' followed by 'of'. Unlike sense 4, no physical screen or surface is involved.
Common Mistakes
7. to stick out from a surface or extend beyond the edge of something.
to stick out from a surface or extend beyond the edge of something.
A wooden beam projects out from the wall of the old house near the roof.
collocation: project from / out from
The balcony projects over the street, giving shade to the pavement below.
Rocks projected from the surface of the cliff along the steep hiking trail.
The top of the old tower projects above the trees in the forest around it.
A small shelf projects from the kitchen wall, holding jars of spices and herbs.
- project from
- project over
- project beyond
- project outwards
- project into
Grammar Patterns
project + adverb/preposition (from / over / beyond / into)
Usage Note
Intransitive; always followed by a preposition or adverb indicating direction (from, over, beyond, into, out). 'Protrude' is a more common synonym.
Word family
- projectionnounB2
- projectornounB2
- projectiveadjectiveC1
- projectionistnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words involve forming an opinion about a future or unknown quantity, but they differ in how formal the process is and what kind of information is used. 'Predict' is the most general — you can predict the weather, a sports score, or an election result based on any mix of data and intuition. 'Forecast' is more systematic, drawing on data and models; it is the standard word for weather and economic projections. 'Estimate' focuses on approximating a size, cost, or number, often when exact figures are unavailable. 'Calculate' is the most precise, involving mathematical computation from known numbers. For example: 'The meteorologist forecast rain for the weekend.' 'I estimate the repair will cost about 5,000 dollars.' 'She calculated the total distance by multiplying speed by time.' In formal business or academic writing, 'project' suggests a forward-looking estimate grounded in current trends and assumptions.
Common collocations
Etymology
'Project' entered English in the 15th century from Latin 'prōiectum', meaning 'something thrown forward'. The Latin word is the past participle of 'prōicere' — formed from 'prō-' (forward) and 'iacere' (to throw). The original sense was the physical act of throwing or propelling. By the late 1500s, the word had developed a figurative meaning: a plan or scheme 'thrown forward' in time. The modern sense of a planned work task emerged in the 19th century during the rise of organized engineering and business. The psychological sense of projecting one's feelings onto others came into use in the early 20th century with Freudian psychology.