assume
Americanverb (used with object)
-
assumes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
assumed,
past participle, past
-
assuming
present participle
-
to take for granted or without proof.
to assume that everyone wants peace.
- Synonyms:
- posit, postulate, presuppose, suppose
-
to take upon oneself; undertake.
to assume an obligation.
-
to take over the duties or responsibilities of.
to assume the office of treasurer.
-
to take on (a particular character, quality, mode of life, etc.); adopt.
He assumed the style of an aggressive go-getter.
-
to take on; be invested or endowed with.
The situation assumed a threatening character.
-
to pretend to have or be; feign.
to assume a humble manner.
-
to appropriate or arrogate; seize; usurp.
to assume a right to oneself; to assume control.
-
to take upon oneself (the debts or obligations of another).
-
Archaic. to take into relation or association; adopt.
verb (used without object)
-
assumes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
assumed,
past participle, past
-
assuming
present participle
verb
-
(may take a clause as object) to take for granted; accept without proof; suppose
to assume that someone is sane
-
to take upon oneself; undertake or take on or over (a position, responsibility, etc)
to assume office
-
to pretend to; feign
he assumed indifference, although the news affected him deeply
-
to take or put on; adopt
the problem assumed gigantic proportions
-
to appropriate or usurp (power, control, etc); arrogate
the revolutionaries assumed control of the city
-
Christianity (of God) to take up (the soul of a believer) into heaven
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
-
assumernoun
-
overassumeverb (used with object)
-
preassumeverb (used with object)
-
reassumeverb (used with object)
-
assumableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
assumesimple
-
assumessimple
-
have assumedperfect
-
has assumedperfect
-
am assumingprogressive
-
are assumingprogressive
-
is assumingprogressive
-
have been assumingperfect progressive
-
has been assumingperfect progressive
Past
-
assumedsimple
-
had assumedperfect
-
was assumingprogressive
-
were assumingprogressive
-
had been assumingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing assume
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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!
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 1-10
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!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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:
"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
Even if your husband commiserates with you, I wouldn’t assume that he is as bothered by his brother’s actions as you are.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Ms. ffitch does not conceal her personal sympathies—it’s safe to assume she is not on the side of the white supremacists—but she isn’t preachy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
This is a very common finding on Mars and leads me to assume my laser is working correctly.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
This example also assumes the family already has emergency savings to cover six months’ worth of expenses and therefore doesn’t set aside money for that.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Such a possibility would conflict with the standard model, which assumes that dark energy remains constant.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
But occasionally, snobs don’t have a choice, such as when they’re sitting in the dark of a movie theater, where the viewer assumes the role of the spectator.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 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
Who is he and what is he that, out of loneliness, he comes into the alien camp and assumes the voice and face of memory and stands among us, accepted and happy at last?
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
Others worried the shocks were compounding and could no longer be assumed to pass on their own.
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
For years, many assumed they had stumbled upon a government checkpoint, and that the abduction of the journalist had been opportunistic.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
It also assumed add-ons of 5% for independent production companies and 5% for labor costs in areas the Federal Emergency Management Agency has declared disasters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
The growing interface between high finance and lower-middle-class America was assumed to be good for lower-middle-class America.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
The request comes after billionaire Tilman Fertitta in May reached an agreement to buy Caesars, paying shareholders $31 a share and assuming about $11.9 billion of the casino company’s outstanding debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
And assuming collectors can get their car to an appropriate testing location, there’s no promise it will pass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
A club statement said there will be "no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy at the club" as a result of Clearlake assuming full control.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
The earlier someone becomes a homeowner, the more equity they may be able to accumulate in their home by retirement, assuming about average annual appreciation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
There will be so many more days of trying to fix it, assuming it can be fixed at all.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
