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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

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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

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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

Aaron Donald and Braden Fiske are the remaining starters, and Tyler Davis, Larrell Murchison and Ty Hamilton will assume larger roles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

“You’re asking the question because implicitly you assume that I’ll have dual loyalties, right?”

From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026

However, let’s assume, for a moment, that you are dealing with scammers.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

All of it boils down to simple questions Gibney poses at the film’s outset: How could Musk assume so much power, and why have we given it to him?

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

“He's a kobold...you know, invisible. Gets very upset when people assume he's not there. So, you can't.”

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

The target assumes a multiple of about 19 times estimated earnings per share for fiscal 2027, which ends in August.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The model assumes that the bird needs the current climate set-up that exists in alpine meadows in the future too, a reasonable but not certain assumption.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

He assumes that, these days, the public goes to see movies or plays, watches television, or reads books either to avoid this dismal reality or absolve themselves from it.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

That objection assumes that Washington has so far been hands-off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

A man he assumes is named Henry LesTroy, although from the way True Belle pronounced it, it could be something else.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

“So I just kind of assumed it would be more guys than girls.”

From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026

The latter assumed its final hydra-esque form this month, when Paramount Skydance closed its acquisition of Warner Bros.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

As they note in a preface to “20 Over 60,” the two of them had assumed when collaborating on their previous anthology that older age was “mostly about decline.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

She’s part of the fabled eastern San Fernando Valley Latino political machine, another group of former gatecrashes who assumed the trappings and stylings of the old guard once they assumed power.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

He probably assumed I was still upstairs sewing and cleaning, expecting me to come down to the kitchen in a little while to help Ma make supper.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Hansoh said it would be in charge of leading the early development of the programs, with Roche assuming responsibility outside China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan after the completion of early-stage clinical trials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Tech leaders such as Microsoft, Shopify and Cadence Design Systems are poised to rebound, analysts say, assuming they beat earnings expectations, as anticipated.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

It’s also close to where I live so that’s convenient and, assuming they’re open, you can go have a drink or food at Musso and Frank after, which is perfect.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

British Athletics doctors ran tests that gave no answers, so she carried on, assuming it was lingering glandular fever that would eventually pass.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

I was assuming I’d feel the effects of the days I’ve taken off, but my body is strong and my mind clears in the same way it did when I ran.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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Related Words

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

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