presume

pre·sume

verb \pri-ˈzüm\

pre·sumedpre·sum·ing

Definition of PRESUME

transitive verb

1

: to undertake without leave or clear justification : dare

2

: to expect or assume especially with confidence

3

: to suppose to be true without proof <presumed innocent until proved guilty>

4

: to take for granted : imply

intransitive verb

1

: to act or proceed presumptuously or on a presumption

2

: to go beyond what is right or proper

— pre·sumed·ly \-ˈzü-məd-lē, -ˈzümd-lē\ adverb

— pre·sum·er noun

Examples of PRESUME

1. “Is she still at work?” “I presume so, since she's not home.”
2. The court must presume innocence until there is proof of guilt.

Origin of PRESUME

Middle English, from Late Latin & Anglo-French; Anglo-French presumer, from Late Latin praesumere to dare, from Latin, to anticipate, assume, from prae- + sumere to take — more at consume

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PRESUME

Synonyms: assume, conjecture, daresay, imagine, guess, speculate, suppose, surmise, suspect, suspicion [chiefly dialect]

Related Words: conclude, deduce, gather, infer; hypothecate, hypothesize, theorize; believe, conceive, expect, judge, reckon [chiefly dialect], take, think

Near Antonyms: demonstrate, document, establish, prove, substantiate, validate; ascertain, determine, find out, learn

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with PRESUME

abloom, assume, 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, 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