presume
Americanverb (used with object)
-
presumes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
presumed,
past participle, past
-
presuming
present participle
-
to take for granted, assume, or suppose.
I presume you're tired after your drive.
- Synonyms:
- presuppose
-
Law. to assume as true in the absence of proof to the contrary.
-
to undertake with unwarrantable boldness.
-
to undertake (to do something) without right or permission.
to presume to speak for another.
verb (used without object)
-
presumes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
presumed,
past participle, past
-
presuming
present participle
-
to take something for granted; suppose.
-
to act or proceed with unwarrantable or impertinent boldness.
- Synonyms:
- overstep
-
to go too far in acting unwarrantably or in taking liberties (usually followed by on orupon ).
Do not presume upon his tolerance.
verb
-
(when tr, often takes a clause as object) to take (something) for granted; assume
-
(when tr, often foll by an infinitive) to take upon oneself (to do something) without warrant or permission; dare
do you presume to copy my work?
-
(intr; foll by on or upon) to rely or depend
don't presume on his agreement
-
law to take as proved until contrary evidence is produced
Usage
What is the difference between presume and assume? Presume and assume have very similar meanings—they both mean to suppose that something is true without being able to confirm it. Assume, however, usually implies that the conclusion reached by the person doing the assuming is not based on much. Presume, on the other hand, often implies that the conclusion is based on something a bit stronger, such as some evidence or past situations in which the same thing happened. For example, you might presume that someone will be attending a meeting because they always attend and you have no reason to think they won’t be there. The word assume could also be used in this scenario, but it’s most likely to be used in situations in which there was less of a reason to have come to a certain conclusion. For example, you might assume something about someone you’ve just met based only on how they look (which is never a good idea). A good way to remember this difference in how the two words are used is that the prefix pre- in presume means “before”—when you presume things, you’re often basing that presumption on something that has happened before. As for assume, well, we’ll just assume you know a good way of remembering how it’s used. Presume and assume also have a few meanings that don’t overlap. Presume can mean to undertake or do something without permission or justification, as in I don’t presume to speak for the entire class. Assume can mean to take on, adopt, or be endowed with something, as in I don’t want to assume any new responsibilities. Here are examples of presume and assume used correctly in a sentence. Example: I presumed, based on your resume, that you knew how to work with this software. Example: I assumed you knew what you were doing when you volunteered to bake the cake, but apparently I shouldn’t have. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between presume and assume.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
presumesimple
-
presumessimple
-
have presumedperfect
-
has presumedperfect
-
am presumingprogressive
-
are presumingprogressive
-
is presumingprogressive
-
have been presumingperfect progressive
-
has been presumingperfect progressive
Past
-
presumedsimple
-
had presumedperfect
-
was presumingprogressive
-
were presumingprogressive
-
had been presumingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of presume
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English presumen, from Old French presumer, from Latin praesūmere “to take beforehand” (in Late Latin: “to take for granted, assume, dare”), from prae- pre- + sūmere “to take up” ( cf. consume)
Explanation
If you presume something, it means you act as though it's true before all the evidence is in. If you are presumed to be the fastest runner, don't get too cocky — that word implies that you haven't actually raced yet. To presume is to take something for granted. The famous quote “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” comes from the explorer Henry Morton Stanley, who ran into the explorer David Livingstone in the wilds of Africa in 1871. It’s funny because these were the only two white men known to be in that part of Africa at the time.
Vocabulary lists containing presume
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Diary of Anne Frank
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It essentially means that judges must presume that the government — whether it be federal prosecutors, an IRS auditor or an FBI agent — did their jobs according to the rules and in good faith.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
"I can only presume it was probably because their road was cut off because they live out in the countryside."
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“We presume that beneficence, compassion, empathy, sympathy or kindness will be processed by this other culture in ways similar or identical to ours.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
You don’t say whether you rent or own, but I presume it’s the former, as you did not mention a house.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
I presume that he is rich, although I have never asked him about it.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
One presumes he’s smart enough not to take anything for granted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Hopefully, it’s not as bad as that worst-case scenario presumes.
From MarketWatch ● May 25, 2026
Indexing presumes general market efficiency: The counterparty to an active seller is an active buyer; both are confident, well-staffed and diligent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
And that presumes the published NAVs represent current reality; most NAVs are as of Dec. 31, and much has happened since then.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
“Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is STARK. A girl of ten, you say, and she presumes to scold her lawful king.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Authorities are attempting to make contact with 14 people whom they have failed to reach by cell phone but are not yet presumed missing, Sheriff John Nowels told a press conference Monday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Both Bunney and McLaren added that it is important not to touch a jellyfish when it is washed up on a beach as it can still sting, even when presumed dead.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Anyone mentioned anywhere following the blast is presumed to have survived it, and perhaps lived through it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
A third U.S. service member in Jordan is missing and presumed dead, and a fourth was killed during the detonation of a downed Iranian drone in Iraq on Saturday.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
He—Strange the dreamer, junior librarian—had marched into the Chrysopoesium, brandishing a book of fairy tales, and presumed to share his insights on the deepest mystery of alchemy.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Greenspan, who retired just before disaster struck, acknowledged to Congress in late 2008 that he had "made a mistake" in presuming companies were best positioned to protect themselves and their shareholders without government oversight.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Rasmussen said he left the meeting with Vance and Rubio presuming the Trump administration understood the island wouldn’t become part of the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026
And that’s presuming you do make it to the Taj Mahal.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 31, 2025
Tuchel will have three more international breaks to work with England players before pre-World Cup friendlies - presuming the Three Lions do qualify for the tournament.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2025
Satin was all grace, dancing with three serving girls in turn but never presuming to approach a highborn lady.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
