presumption

American  

[pri-zuhmp-shuhn] / prɪˈzʌmp ʃən /

noun

• presumptions
  plural

1. the act of presuming.

2. assumption of something as true.

3. belief on reasonable grounds or probable evidence.

4. something that is presumed; an assumption.

5. a ground or reason for presuming or believing.

6. Law. an inference required or permitted by law as to the existence of one fact from proof of the existence of other facts.

7. an assumption, often not fully established, that is taken for granted in some piece of reasoning.

8. unwarrantable, unbecoming, or impertinent boldness.

   Synonyms:

   gall, arrogance, effrontery, audacity

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presumption British  

/ prɪˈzʌmpʃən /

noun

1. the act of presuming

2. bold or insolent behaviour or manners

3. a belief or assumption based on reasonable evidence

4. a ground or basis on which to presume

5. law an inference of the truth of a fact from other facts proved, admitted, or judicially noticed

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overpresumption
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• presumptions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of presumption

1175–1225; Middle English: effrontery, supposition < Latin praesūmptiōn- (stem of praesūmptiō ) anticipation, supposition, Late Latin: presumptuousness, equivalent to praesūmpt ( us ) (past participle of praesūmere to undertake beforehand; see presume) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

The noun presumption pretty much means jumping to conclusions. It is taking something for granted — an idea, an answer, an event — without having any real knowledge about it, and that is usually not a good thing. Making a presumption means assuming something is true or false without getting all the information necessary for verification. You can decipher this from the prefix pre, which means "before," together with the sume — from the Latin sumere, "to take." Because so many times a presumption turns out to be false, the word has a negative connotation to it; there's something reckless about making up your mind before you know all the facts.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

presumption presumptions

Plaid had said it would establish a "strong presumption in favour of undergrounding", and the "use of wooden poles where necessary".

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

More than 83,000 spaces are occupied by male inmates, despite the government introducing a presumption against jailing anyone for under one year to free up more space.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

The presumption is Anderson was a Connecticut domiciliary unless his estate can prove otherwise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

From Washington, D.C., to Rhode Island to Oregon, federal judges nominated by presidents from both parties, including Donald Trump, have zeroed in on what’s called “the presumption of regularity.”

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

He could not help regarding my exclamation as a presumption of my guilt and said in rather a severe tone,

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

So it's perhaps no surprise that now he appears to have at least an outside chance of making a fist of it, he is not making any presumptions.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

“Viewed positively, what the American revolution did was to give the common man a voice, a veto, elbow room and a refuge from the rampaging presumptions of his ‘betters.’

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

We know what works: family court reform that centers safety over shared parenting presumptions; mandatory training on coercive control; limits on custody for abusive partners; strict, enforceable firearm removal; and sustained investment in survivor support.

From Slate ● Apr. 25, 2026

With this first season, Hawley has given us an excellent tale about colonization that covers space, Earth, and body sovereignty, cautioning against presumptions of superiority.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2025

Ultimately, a jury who brought many presumptions and biases to the trial of Marsha Colbey was selected to decide her fate.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• assumption
• likelihood
• premise
• supposition
• suspicion