presume

American  

[pri-zoom] / prɪˈzum /

verb (used with object)

presumes, present (3rd person singular) presumed, past participle, past presuming present participle

1. to take for granted, assume, or suppose.

   I presume you're tired after your drive.

   Synonyms:

   presuppose

2. Law. to assume as true in the absence of proof to the contrary.

3. to undertake with unwarrantable boldness.

4. to undertake (to do something) without right or permission.

   to presume to speak for another.

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verb (used without object)

presumes, present (3rd person singular) presumed, past participle, past presuming present participle

1. to take something for granted; suppose.

2. to act or proceed with unwarrantable or impertinent boldness.

   Synonyms:

   overstep

3. to go too far in acting unwarrantably or in taking liberties (usually followed by on orupon ).

   Do not presume upon his tolerance.

presume British  

/ prɪˈzjuːmɪdlɪ, prɪˈzjuːm /

verb

1. (when tr, often takes a clause as object) to take (something) for granted; assume

2. (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?

3. (intr; foll by on or upon) to rely or depend

   don't presume on his agreement

4. law to take as proved until contrary evidence is produced

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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

• unpresumed
  adjective
• presumedly
  adverb
• presumer
  noun
• presuming
  adjective
• presumingly
  adverb

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have presumed
  perfect
• has presumed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have been presuming
  perfect progressive
• is presuming
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are presuming
  progressive
• presumes
  singular 3rd person
• am presuming
  progressive 1st person singular
• presuming
  participle
• has been presuming
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had presumed
  perfect
• had been presuming
  perfect progressive
• were presuming
  progressive plural
• was presuming
  progressive singular
• presumed
  simple
• presumed
  participle

Future

• will presume
  simple
• will have presumed
  perfect
• will have been presuming
  perfect progressive
• will be presuming
  progressive

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.

Example Sentences

"If we presume no young men or boys want to read, and we don't give them access to books, then they won't read."

From BBC • May 31, 2026

What’s more, you can, I presume, continue working until you are 65 and qualify for Medicare.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

But for unions that fall below it, the standard is simple: Win majority support from the people you claim to represent or don’t presume to represent them.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Right, exactly, and then we start seeing forces moving into the region in greater numbers for what you would presume to be a major strike.

From Slate • Mar. 2, 2026

I would not presume to tell you what to do, but I believe it is your duty to come, in case of any complications that might occur...

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Related Words

• assume
• count on
• guess
• infer
• pretend
• suppose
• surmise