presume Hear it!

presume Definition

pre·sume (prē zo̵̅o̅m′, -zyo̵̅o̅m′, -pri-)

transitive verb -·sumed′, -·sum′·ing

  1. to take upon oneself without permission or authority; dare (to say or do something); venture
  2. to take for granted; accept as true, lacking proof to the contrary; suppose
  3. to constitute reasonable evidence for supposing a signed invoice presumes receipt of goods

Etymology: ME presumen < OFr presumer < L praesumere < prae-, before (see pre-) + sumere, to take: see consume

intransitive verb

  1. to act presumptuously; take liberties
  2. to rely too much (on or upon), as in taking liberties to presume on another's friendship
  3. to take something for granted

presume Related Forms
pre·sum′·edly (--id lē--) adverb pre·sum′er noun
presume Synonyms

presume

v.

consider, suppose, take for granted; see assume 1. See syn. study at assume.

presume Usage Examples

Object

  • existence: Lockwood presumes the existence of different sources to produce different images of society.
  • I: All this I presumed was for having being returned to Italy whilst other ranks were enjoying their de-mob back in dear old England.
  • everyone: Indeed, 24 hours in, my PA entered the room clutching a briefcase, which everyone presumed contained vital documents.
  • someone: I will take training on Thursday and I'm presuming someone may come in at the weekend after Saturday's match.
  • knowledge: Since many applicants will not be studying Economics at A2, our interview process does not presume any knowledge of economic theory.

Used with why or when

  • that: I presume that was to see whether you had given his company permission to print that brochure.

Infinitive complement

  • speak: Who can presume to speak for all Islamic Generations to the Day of Resurrection?
  • know: And of course you might well ask how the heck I can presume to know what God wants.
  • exist: Perhaps the best known is the hotspot presumed to exist under the continental crust in the region of Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming.
  • tell: We should not presume to tell experts how to do their job ( that is, " know your place " ).
  • judge: It ill becomes a man who misunderstands and underestimates the genre to presume to judge the quality of The Next Generation.

Adjective complement

  • drowned: The Herald leads on the search for a man presumed drowned near The Slipe.
  • extinct: Even today, in New England, native peoples are presumed extinct.
  • innocent: Additionally, specific rights given to people being prosecuted for a criminal charge include: The right to be presumed innocent.
  • dead: The vase was replaced with a woman lying on the floor, presumed dead.
  • guilty: Presumed guilty from the outset, they were deprived of vital evidence and never received fair or open hearings.

Modifying Another Word

  • conclusively: If the Purchaser shall not give notice within such period the Goods shall be conclusively presumed to have been accepted by the Purchaser.
  • wrongly: Most statistics books and most data analysts wrongly presume it's always a problem.
  • dead: Austin had been presumed dead in the sinking of the HMS Hardy at Narvik in Norway on 10 April 1940.
  • therefore: I presume therefore that trauma at the top can prompt interesting stuff lower down.
presume Quotes

Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great: With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, With too much weakness for the stoic's pride, He hangs between; in doubt to act or rest, In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast; In doubt his mind or body to prefer, Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err; Alike in ignorance, his reason such, Whether he thinks too little, or too much.

—Pope, Alexander

I presume you're mortal, and may err.

—Shirley,James