Adjacent Words

Presume definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRESU'ME, v.t. s as z. [L. proesumo; proe, before,and sumo, to take.] To take or suppose to be true or entitled to belief, without examination or positive proof, or on the strength of probability. We presume that a man is honest, who has not been known to cheat or deceive; but in this we are sometimes mistaken. In many cases, the law presumes full payment where positive evidence of it cannot be produced.
We not only presume it may be so, but we actually find it so.
In cases of implied contracts, the law presumes that a man has covenanted or contracted to do what reason and justice dictate.
PRESU'ME, v.i. To venture without positive permission; as, we may presume too far.
1. To form confident or arrogant opinions; with on or upon, before the cause of confidence.
This man presumes upon his parts.
I will not presume so far upon myself.
2. To make confident or arrogant attempts.
In that we presume to see what is meet and convenient, better than God himself.
3. It has on or upon sometimes before the thing supposed.
Luther presumes upon the gift of continency.
It is sometimes followed by of, but improperly.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof; "I assume his train was late" [syn: assume, presume, take for granted]
2: take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission; "How dare you call my lawyer?" [syn: make bold, dare, presume]
3: constitute reasonable evidence for; "A restaurant bill presumes the consumption of food"
4: take liberties or act with too much confidence

Merriam Webster's

verb (presumed; presuming) Etymology: 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 Date: 14th century 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 • presumedly adverb • presumer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. (often foll. by that + clause) suppose to be true; take for granted. 2 tr. (often foll. by to + infin.) a take the liberty; be impudent enough (presumed to question their authority). b dare, venture (may I presume to ask?). 3 intr. be presumptuous; take liberties. 4 intr. (foll. by on, upon) take advantage of or make unscrupulous use of (a person's good nature etc.). Derivatives: presumable adj. presumedly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF presumer f. L praesumere praesumpt- anticipate, venture (as PRAE-, sumere take)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Presume Pre*sume", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Presumed; p. pr. & vb. n. Presuming.] [F. pr['e]sumer, L. praesumere, praesumptum; prae before + sumere to take. See Assume, Redeem.] 1. To assume or take beforehand; esp., to do or undertake without leave or authority previously obtained. Dare he presume to scorn us in this manner? --Shak. Bold deed thou hast presumed, adventurous Eve. --Milton. 2. To take or suppose to be true, or entitled to belief, without examination or proof, or on the strength of probability; to take for granted; to infer; to suppose. Every man is to be presumed innocent till he is proved to be guilty. --Blackstone. What rests but that the mortal sentence pass, . . . Which he presumes already vain and void, Because not yet inflicted? --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Presume Pre*sume", v. i. 1. To suppose or assume something to be, or to be true, on grounds deemed valid, though not amounting to proof; to believe by anticipation; to infer; as, we may presume too far. 2. To venture, go, or act, by an assumption of leave or authority not granted; to go beyond what is warranted by the circumstances of the case; to venture beyond license; to take liberties; -- often with on or upon before the ground of confidence. Do not presume too much upon my love. --Shak. This man presumes upon his parts. --Locke.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(presumes, presuming, presumed) 1. If you presume that something is the case, you think that it is the case, although you are not certain. I presume you're here on business... Dido's told you the whole sad story, I presume?... 'Had he been home all week?'—'I presume so.' ...areas that have been presumed to be safe... The missing person is presumed dead. = assume VERB: V that, V that, V so, be V-ed to-inf, be V-ed adj 2. If you say that someone presumes to do something, you mean that they do it even though they have no right to do it. (FORMAL) They're resentful that outsiders presume to meddle in their affairs... VERB: V to-inf 3. If an idea, theory, or plan presumes certain facts, it regards them as true so that they can be used as a basis for further ideas and theories. (FORMAL) The legal definition of 'know' often presumes mental control... The arrangement presumes that both lenders and borrowers are rational. VERB: V n, V that

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Suppose, conjecture, think, surmise, believe, assume, apprehend, anticipate. 2. Venture, make bold. II. v. a. Consider, suppose, take for granted.

Moby Thesaurus

account, account as, adjudge, adjudicate, affect, allegorize, allow, allude to, anticipate, aspire to, assume, attempt, bank on, be afraid, be judicious, be predisposed, believe, bring, bring to mind, call for, comprise, conceive, conclude, confide, conjecture, connote, consider, contain, contemplate, count, count on, dare, daresay, deduce, deem, deride, desire, divine, dread, dream, encroach upon, entail, envisage, esteem, estimate, exercise judgment, expect, express an opinion, face, fancy, feel, feel confident, forejudge, foresee, form an opinion, gather, get fresh, get smart, go off half-cocked, grant, guess, harbor the hope, have a hunch, have a nerve, have an idea, have an impression, have an inkling, have in mind, have the cheek, have the gall, have the idea, hazard, hint, hold, hold as, hold in contempt, hope, hope against hope, hope and pray, hope for, hope in, hope to God, hypothecate, hypothesize, imagine, implicate, imply, import, impose on, impose upon, infer, infringe, insinuate, intimate, intrude, involve, judge, judge beforehand, jump the gun, lead to, lean upon, let, let be, live in hopes, look upon as, maintain, make bold, make free, mean, mean to say, nurture the hope, obtrude, opine, pine, point indirectly to, posit, postulate, preconceive, preconclude, predecide, predetermine, prefigure, prejudge, premise, presuppose, presurmise, pretend, provisionally accept, reckon, regard, rely on, repute, require, rest assured, ridicule, say, set down as, speculate, subsume, suggest, suppose, surmise, suspect, take, take for, take for granted, take in, take it, take liberties, take liberties with, take the liberty, take to be, taunt, theorize, think, think likely, think of, trow, trust, understand, venture, venture to say, view as, ween