conjecture

[ kuhn-jek-cher ]

/ kənˈdʒɛk tʃər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conjecture ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof.

an opinion or theory so formed or expressed; guess; speculation.

Obsolete. the interpretation of signs or omens.

verb (used with object), con·jec·tured, con·jec·tur·ing.

to conclude or suppose from grounds or evidence insufficient to ensure reliability.

verb (used without object), con·jec·tured, con·jec·tur·ing.

to form conjectures.

Content related to conjecture

Why is Easter Island Named “Easter”?The instantly recognizable statues on Easter Island (887 of them), called moai, have perplexed and fascinated explorers, experts and average folks since the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen came across it in 1722. And Mr. Roggeveen is the reason it’s called Easter Island. He and his crew dropped anchor on Easter Sunday. The current inhabitants of Isla de Pascua (Spanish for “Easter Island”) call it Rapa Nui, a …

What Are The Words For The Biggest Numbers In Existence?When it comes to large numbers, we've got lots to discuss. You might say there's a garthousand ways to talk about numbers so large they are written in scientific notation or exist only in the imagination. Let's take a look at some of the vocabulary, definitions, and linguistic trivia surrounding large numbers.

Words related to conjecture

guesswork, hypothesis, hunch, supposition, inference, presumption, guess, theory, fancy, opinion, conclusion, notion, surmise, guesstimate, gather, figure, conclude, feel, deem, expect

Words nearby conjecture

coniston water, conium, conization, conj., conjectural, conjecture, conjoin, conjoined, conjoined anastomosis, conjoined twin, conjoined twins

Origin of conjecture

1350–1400; (noun) Middle English < Latin conjectūra (< Middle French) inferring, reasoning, equivalent to conject(us) past participle of conjicere to throw together, form a conclusion (con- con- + -jicere, combining form of jacere to throw) + -ūra -ure; (v.) late Middle English conjecturen (< Middle French) < Late Latin conjecturāre, derivative of the noun

SYNONYMS FOR conjecture

2 surmise, inference, supposition, theory, hypothesis.

4 surmise, suppose, presume. See guess.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conjecture ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM conjecture

con·jec·tur·a·ble, adjectivecon·jec·tur·a·bly, adverbcon·jec·tur·er, nounmis·con·jec·ture, verb, mis·con·jec·tured, mis·con·jec·tur·ing; noun

non·con·jec·tur·a·ble, adjectivenon·con·jec·tur·a·bly, adverbpre·con·jec·ture, verb (used with object), pre·con·jec·tured, pre·con·jec·tur·ing.un·con·jec·tur·a·ble, adjectiveun·con·jec·tured, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for conjecture

And it is conjecture, based on the sketchy bits of evidence we possess.
Is Brooklyn Becoming Unsafe for Gays? It Depends On Which Ones|Jay Michaelson|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After all, the innermost sexual longings of presidents, both living and dead, have long been the stuff of rumor and conjecture.
Fifty Shades of Presidential FanFiction|Amy Zimmerman|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is not a conjecture, and so many of these groups it is basically donor capture.
Conservative Senator Kicks Tea Party to the Curb|David Freedlander|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mr. Rove, you make these claims purely as conjecture without any facts, fanned by the emotions of your partisanship.
Karl Rove’s Awful, and Afactual, Remarks About Hillary Clinton’s Health|Sally Kohn|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

We are in the realms of conjecture now, but I make no apologies for what follows.
Beethoven in Love: The Woman Who Captivated the Young Composer|John Suchet|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They differed, in no essential particular, from what conjecture had suggested to us.
The Guerilla Chief|Mayne Reid
The conjecture that Chaucers ancestors were merchants, of no valydytye.
Animaduersions uppon the annotacions and corrections of some imperfections of impressiones of Chaucer's workes|Francis Thynne
Mrs. Ennis knit her brows in thought, her blue eyes dark with conjecture.
The Best Short Stories of 1921 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story|Various
It may seem irreverent to approach it even with a conjecture.
A Walk from London to John O'Groat's|Elihu Burritt
It has been guessed that they formed centres for a coffered ceiling, and there is nothing to negative the conjecture.
A History of Art in Chalda & Assyria, v. 1|Georges Perrot

British Dictionary definitions for conjecture

conjecture

/ (kənˈdʒɛktʃə) /

noun

the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence; guess

the inference or conclusion so formed

obsolete interpretation of occult signs

verb

to infer or arrive at (an opinion, conclusion, etc) from incomplete evidence

Derived forms of conjecture

conjecturable, adjectiveconjecturably, adverbconjecturer, noun

Word Origin for conjecture

C14: from Latin conjectūra an assembling of facts, from conjicere to throw together, from jacere to throw

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012