conjecture Hear it!

conjecture Definition

con·jec·ture (kən jek′c̸hər)

noun

  1. an inferring, theorizing, or predicting from incomplete or uncertain evidence; guesswork an editorial full of conjecture
  2. an inference, theory, or prediction based on guesswork; guess
  3. Obsolete occult divination

Etymology: ME < L conjectura, a putting together, guess, inference < conjectus, pp. of conjicere, to throw together, guess < com-, together + jacere, to throw: see jet

transitive verb -·tured, -·tur·ing

to arrive at or propose by conjecture; guess

intransitive verb

to make a conjecture

conjecture Related Forms
con·jec′·tur·able adjective
conjecture Synonyms

conjecture

n.

inference, theory, guess; see guess, hypothesis, opinion 1. See syn. study at guess.

conjecture Synonyms

conjecture

v.

suppose, speculate, surmise; see assume 1, guess 1, think 1.

conjecture Law Definition

n

A conclusion or inference based upon incomplete or uncertain evidence.

v

To make a conclusion or inference based upon such evidence.
conjecture Usage Examples

Preposition: that

  • number: It is conjectured that this number is normal, meaning that it contains ALL finite bit strings.

Converse of object

  • evoke: Most sounds evoke conjectures of possible experiences differing from, and more important than, themselves.
  • prove: One aim of the present project is to prove the conjecture for the magnetic fields.
  • remain: But if a conjecture is realized it is very difficult to see how it remains a conjecture.
  • base: In spite of much effort, there are very few rigorous results; in most cases we have only conjectures based on computer experiments.
  • test: Life, in a market, is a constant probing and testing, conjecture and refutation.
  • make: I've made various conjectures on how the thread would turn out, none of which have been attained.

Object

  • possibility: I am conjecturing the possibility of enjoying it at the intensity-level of sensation.

Adjective modifier

  • mere: That the Popper books piled in front of me now - like that famous fly of his - are mere conjectures?
  • pure: Within the existing business, however, their value is pure conjecture.
  • bold: The scientist is left to whimsically choose among a cornucopia of " bold conjectures, " everyone of which is guaranteed to be false.
  • wild: Frighteningly enough, this is no longer hypothesis and wild conjecture.
  • famous: Keith Devlin Henri Poincaré formulated his now famous conjecture on topology exactly 100 years ago.
  • original: One way of repairing the original conjecture is to force the involved triangle-free graphs to have large minimum degree.

Modifying Another Word

  • only: They, weren't, of course, and they surely only conjectured that it had been lifted and thrown heavily.
  • also: These two authors also conjectured many of the properties of Brownian motion.

Noun used with modifier

  • I: I have never counted the number of posts in classics in Japan but less than ten chairs, I conjecture.
  • number: I now want to show how geometric Galois module theory fits into the wider framework of the equivariant Tamagawa number conjecture.

Used with why or when

  • what: We have to conjecture what the Board's reasons were, but in constructing that conjecture there is one reliable argument to guide us.

Preposition: from

  • content: Notes: Letter is dated Sunday; date conjectured from contents.