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assume

American  

[uh-soom] / əˈsum /

verb (used with object)

• assumes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• assumed,
  past participle,  past
• assuming
  present participle

1. to take for granted or without proof.

   to assume that everyone wants peace.

   Synonyms:

   posit, postulate, presuppose, suppose

2. to take upon oneself; undertake.

   to assume an obligation.

3. to take over the duties or responsibilities of.

   to assume the office of treasurer.

4. to take on (a particular character, quality, mode of life, etc.); adopt.

   He assumed the style of an aggressive go-getter.

5. to take on; be invested or endowed with.

   The situation assumed a threatening character.

6. to pretend to have or be; feign.

   to assume a humble manner.

7. to appropriate or arrogate; seize; usurp.

   to assume a right to oneself; to assume control.

8. to take upon oneself (the debts or obligations of another).

9. Archaic. to take into relation or association; adopt.

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verb (used without object)

• assumes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• assumed,
  past participle,  past
• assuming
  present participle

1. to take something for granted; presume.

assume British  

/ əˈsjuːm /

verb

1. (may take a clause as object) to take for granted; accept without proof; suppose

   to assume that someone is sane

2. to take upon oneself; undertake or take on or over (a position, responsibility, etc)

   to assume office

3. to pretend to; feign

   he assumed indifference, although the news affected him deeply

4. to take or put on; adopt

   the problem assumed gigantic proportions

5. to appropriate or usurp (power, control, etc); arrogate

   the revolutionaries assumed control of the city

6. Christianity (of God) to take up (the soul of a believer) into heaven

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Usage

What's the difference between assume and presume? Assume and presume 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. Assume and presume also have a few meanings that don’t overlap. Assume can mean to take on, adopt, or be endowed with something, as in I don’t want to assume any new responsibilities. Presume can mean to undertake or do something without permission or justification, as in I don’t presume to speak for the entire class. Here are examples of assume and presume used correctly in a sentence. Example: I assumed you knew what you were doing when you volunteered to bake the cake, but apparently I shouldn’t have. Example: I presumed, based on your resume, that you knew how to work with this software. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between assume and presume.

Synonym Usage

See pretend.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• assumer
  noun
• overassume
  verb (used with object)
• preassume
  verb (used with object)
• reassume
  verb (used with object)
• assumable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• assuming
  present
• assumed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• assume
  simple
• assumes
  simple
• have assumed
  perfect
• has assumed
  perfect
• am assuming
  progressive
• are assuming
  progressive
• is assuming
  progressive
• have been assuming
  perfect progressive
• has been assuming
  perfect progressive

Past

• assumed
  simple
• had assumed
  perfect
• was assuming
  progressive
• were assuming
  progressive
• had been assuming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will assume
  simple
• will have assumed
  perfect
• will be assuming
  progressive
• will have been assuming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of assume

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (from Anglo-French assumer ), from Latin assūmere “to take to, adopt,” equivalent to as- “toward” + sūmere “to take up”; see as-, consume

Explanation

Assume isn't only used to mean "accept as truth without checking"; it also means "take on the form of." It might be safer if you don't assume that the vampire standing in front of you isn't merely a person assuming that form. Assume always has the sense of taking on something. It may be the belief in the appearance of truth: Your mother probably assumes you do your homework right after school. It may be another form or identity: Superman assumes the identity of a city reporter. Or, it might be a physical space: If you get nervous while driving, your dad might assume control of the car.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assume assumes assumed assuming

That’s also why, when “Fjord” opens with soft piano chords playing “Amazing Grace,” it’s safe to assume the song will be an integral motif throughout the film.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

Howard, known as Howie, has been a Berkshire director since 1993, and will assume the chairman role effective immediately.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

"Event planning must therefore assume that a crocodile sighting is possible… No natural waterway in crocodile country can be guaranteed to be crocodile-free."

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

But after West refused, the couple told the Texas court that they intended to assume custody of, and provide medical care for, their child.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

“The good fairy queens consulted with the king and my father, then disappeared with the child. No one has seen her since. We assume she’s being protected from Malevolent, hidden away from spindles and curses.”

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

At REDCAT, the superb Rosemarie DeWitt assumes Marvel’s place, standing in for Ford but never attempting anything as crass as an impersonation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

And CBO assumes net immigration picks back up after its recent decline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

First, he assumes that they’re as gullible as he is—that, since he believes the compliments they shovel his way, they’ll believe his shovelings too.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026

Cryer says the long-term copper price it assumes in its models is currently a quite conservative $4 per pound.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Everyone assumes Twig is a funny nickname because she’s long and skinny and her ash-blond hair sticks out everywhere, but it’s actually short for Twiggy.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

But he said he assumed that governments would coordinate to slow down the breakneck pace of development if it were ever necessary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Many observers, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, assumed he would never return to the Senate.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

Details are still being worked out,, but the study assumed a transferable credit with a minimum rate of 20% on qualified spending for U.S. resident labor — broadly what industry groups have supported.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

“We fulfilled our $500 deductible and assumed 80% after that would be covered,” Higginbotham said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Mrs. Kedzie planned to “Make a little Speculation of the ‘Knockings’” and, it’s assumed, split the proceeds with the two girls.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

These matches will also provide preparation for the next Euros in 2028 when, assuming they qualify, England will be playing opponents like this at Wembley.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Finally assuming the role of music director, the conductor opened the orchestra’s season with a passionately played program that included John Adams’s work in memory of 9/11.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

A deal needs to be signed into law as soon as possible, assuming it’s written with the necessary language and riders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

If your friend’s spouse were still alive, he would also have been eligible for spousal benefits, receiving up to 50% of his wife’s benefits, assuming that amount was higher than his own Social Security benefits.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

“Well, was it a man? I’m assuming it was a man?”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• accept
• conclude
• consider
• estimate
• expect
• guess
• infer
• presume
• speculate
• suspect
• think
• understand