assume

as·sume

verb \ə-ˈsüm\

as·sumedas·sum·ing

Definition of ASSUME

transitive verb

1

a : to take up or in : receive b : to take into partnership, employment, or use

2

a : to take to or upon oneself : undertake <assume responsibility> b : put on, don c : to place oneself in <assume a position>

3

: seize, usurp <assume control>

4

: to pretend to have or be : feign <assumed an air of confidence in spite of her dismay>

5

: to take as granted or true : suppose <I assume he'll be there>

6

: to take over (the debts of another) as one's own

— as·sum·abil·i·ty \-ˌsü-mə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— as·sum·able \-ˈsü-mə-bəl\ adjective

— as·sum·ably \-blē\ adverb

Examples of ASSUME

1. I assumed he was coming, so I was surprised when he didn't show up.
2. She assumed from his expression that he was confused.
3. We'll be arriving around noon. That's assuming that our flight is on time.
4. The king assumed the throne when he was very young.
5. Under certain conditions, the chemical will assume the appearance of ice.

Origin of ASSUME

Middle English, from Latin assumere, from ad- + sumere to take — more at consume

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to ASSUME

Synonyms: accept, bear, shoulder, take over, undertake

Antonyms: disavow, disclaim, disown, repudiate

Related Words: adopt, embrace, take up; advocate, back, champion, endorse (also indorse), espouse, stand by, support, uphold; accede, acquiesce, agree, assent, consent; reaccept, reassume

Near Antonyms: abjure, recant, renounce, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw; decline, refuse, reject, spurn, turn down; abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from); avoid, bypass, detour; abandon, abnegate, forsake, give up, relinquish, spurn, surrender; back down, back off, backtrack

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Synonym Discussion of ASSUME

assume, affect, pretend, simulate, feign, counterfeit, sham mean to put on a false or deceptive appearance. assume often implies a justifiable motive rather than an intent to deceive <assumed an air of cheerfulness around the patients>. affect implies making a false show of possessing, using, or feeling <affected an interest in art>. pretend implies an overt and sustained false appearance <pretended that nothing had happened>. simulate suggests a close imitation of the appearance of something <cosmetics that simulate a suntan>. feign implies more artful invention than pretend, less specific mimicry than simulate <feigned sickness>. counterfeit implies achieving the highest degree of verisimilitude of any of these words <an actor counterfeiting drunkenness>. sham implies an obvious falseness that fools only the gullible <shammed a most unconvincing limp>.

Rhymes with ASSUME

abloom, backroom, ballroom, barroom, bathroom, bedroom, boardroom, bridegroom, broadloom, chat room, checkroom, classroom, clean room, cloakroom, coatroom, consume, costume, courtroom, darkroom, dayroom, entomb, enwomb, exhume, foredoom, front room, great room, greenroom, guardroom, gun room, headroom, heirloom, homeroom, houseroom, illume, inhume, jibboom, Khartoum, legroom, legume, lunchroom, men's room, mudroom, mushroom, newsroom, perfume, playroom, poolroom, pressroom, presume, push broom, relume, restroom, resume, salesroom, schoolroom, Scotch broom, sea room, showroom, sickroom, simoom, squad room, stateroom, stockroom, storeroom, strong room, subsume, sunroom, taproom, Targum, tearoom, throne room, toolroom, wardroom, washroom, weight room, whisk broom, white room, workroom