assume
Americanverb (used with object)
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to take for granted or without proof.
to assume that everyone wants peace.
- Synonyms:
- posit, postulate, presuppose, suppose
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to take upon oneself; undertake.
to assume an obligation.
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to take over the duties or responsibilities of.
to assume the office of treasurer.
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to take on (a particular character, quality, mode of life, etc.); adopt.
He assumed the style of an aggressive go-getter.
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to take on; be invested or endowed with.
The situation assumed a threatening character.
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to pretend to have or be; feign.
to assume a humble manner.
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to appropriate or arrogate; seize; usurp.
to assume a right to oneself; to assume control.
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to take upon oneself (the debts or obligations of another).
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Archaic. to take into relation or association; adopt.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to take for granted; accept without proof; suppose
to assume that someone is sane
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to take upon oneself; undertake or take on or over (a position, responsibility, etc)
to assume office
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to pretend to; feign
he assumed indifference, although the news affected him deeply
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to take or put on; adopt
the problem assumed gigantic proportions
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to appropriate or usurp (power, control, etc); arrogate
the revolutionaries assumed control of the city
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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
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assumernoun
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overassumeverb (used with object)
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preassumeverb (used with object)
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reassumeverb (used with object)
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assumableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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assumesimple
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assumessimple
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have assumedperfect
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has assumedperfect
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am assumingprogressive
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are assumingprogressive
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is assumingprogressive
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have been assumingperfect progressive
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has been assumingperfect progressive
Past
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assumedsimple
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had assumedperfect
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was assumingprogressive
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were assumingprogressive
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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
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 1-10
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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:
It thereby paved the way for her to assume as president should Ortega, who is believed to be in frail health, be declared "permanently absent".
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Other chapters, written in splintered, sharply poeticized fragments, assume Gelsomina’s point of view.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Many assume they will always be able to live independently and are shocked to learn, when assistance is required, that Medicare does not cover long-term care or assisted living.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Because the intelligence agency knows of Almásy’s affair with Katharine, they assume Geoffrey’s death is suspicious and imprison Almásy as he tries to get help.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Anyone intercepting the text would assume it had something to do with breakfast, but it would actually be a reference to the judge from family court.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
The estimate assumes the retiree is enrolled in traditional Medicare Part A and Part B, which covers most hospital care and doctor visits, as well as Part D, which covers prescription drugs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The projection "assumes no material escalation in the Middle East" and no significant jump in commodity costs, according to a slide.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Nowadays, he just assumes they are, and chooses his words more carefully.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Guitars take the place of shovels, as Henry now repays Carlos’ kindness by helping to save the land that Carlos assumes is ravaged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
He thinks he is making a large concession, to something he assumes I want.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Some longtime participants also assumed new leadership roles at Rimpac.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
So he assumed a secret identity and took matters into his own hands.
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026
With the constant flood of AI imagery, Ajder said, spaces assumed to be "unblemished by AI are valuable, particularly for journalists and people trying to do work on the frontlines of rapidly evolving crisis scenarios".
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
While Yeager said she noticed the listing was quickly pulled from Zillow, she just assumed someone had snagged the rental before her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
I assumed whoever Dad chose to be with after Mom would have capital A ambition.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
“It’s kind of hurtful. They’re just assuming who I am.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Burnham has announced a series of new measures since assuming office last week, including cuts to electricity bills and bringing the bus fare cap in most parts of England back down to £2.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Chevron projected the Tengiz oil field would generate $6 billion in free cash flow for the company this year, assuming oil traded at $70 a barrel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Note that, even assuming the spread expands, we can’t predict whether Treasury rates themselves will be higher or lower.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Charlie, Jamie, and Ben entered the subprime mortgage market assuming they wanted to do what Mike Burry and Steve Eisman had already done, and find the very worst subprime bonds to lay bets against.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
