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What does the scientific method assume?

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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

It’s fair to assume many of us require a stern talking-to, like dogs who need their pills hidden inside the cheese that is Cruise’s Mr. Movies persona.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

"I assume he'll want to keep the suspense," said Hass.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

Fans may assume Cong is paying tribute to Batman's notorious arch-enemy the Joker, but the Chinese fighter says her persona is rooted in the joker playing card that inspired the comic-book villain.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Even if you see that one seller marked up their ticket price considerably, don’t assume they are going to be able to sell it.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

James Madison rose to assume his customary role as the vigilant voice of cool reason.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said the end of the coalition's mission marked "Iraq's transition to a phase in which it assumes full responsibility for its security and stability".

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Lance Oppenheim’s new film “Primetime,” in which Robert Pattinson assumes Hansen’s enigmatic role, reveals the answer — sort of.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

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

Things start to go awry for Bryan when, during a snowstorm, he is driving to a hospital to deliver a medical package he assumes is a liver or a heart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Without the support of old certainties and consolations, almost mechanically, he assumes the procedures and doctrines of the classroom.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Instead, the two pilots who assumed control of the nearly four-year-old aircraft were able to keep flying for over an hour and safely land even with a damaged component on its tail.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Having recently moved to Edinburgh, he assumed that someone had helped themselves during a fairly raucous flat-warming party.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

She lost a campaign for a judgeship in 2022 and two years later assumed her position in the county counsel’s justice and safety division, where she supervises litigation and advises county departments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

If researchers had assumed that the CGM behaved the same way in every direction, this effect could easily have remained hidden.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

He assumed it was my grief that had struck me silent.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

It failed us all by assuming that what she deserved was fixed by what she did as an 18-year-old.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026

That’s assuming the $800 is after your mortgage and ordinary expenses, including taxes and insurance, and accounts for vacant periods or repairs.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

It is similar to standing somewhere on Earth and assuming that beyond your visible horizon, there is still more Earth.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

While the colourful displays may encourage people to learn more about fungi, experts are warning against assuming wild mushrooms are safe to eat.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

“I told you, Eve forgotten a lot—that’s assuming I ever even had that lovely word in my vocabulary.”

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Related Words

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