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

I don’t mean to snark at your pain when I say this, but that presumption was your first mistake.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

He told AFP that "the presumption of innocence must be preserved... until the facts are established by the competent authorities."

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

He said the law was clear in that there would be a "presumption and expectation" that there are no third trials save for "exceptional circumstances".

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

The law generally treats marriage as a financial partnership and the presumption is that assets will be equitably divided upon breakup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026

Hence, it is the presumption of common sense and science that these ESP phenomena don’t exist, and the burden of proof is on those who maintain that there are such phenomena.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

“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

Haynes re-created moments from televised interviews and tabloid covers, but told Collider that the film has a “treacherous” quality in the way it guides the audience away from their expectations or presumptions about the characters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2024

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