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

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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

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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

"Allegations do not constitute proof of wrongdoing, and any action taken by Fijian authorities must uphold due process, the presumption of innocence and the rule of law," it added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

But that presumption depends upon the supporting cast: the boys of summer that might never play come fall but must play well enough so that the stars can play postseason ball.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

“He’s changed the presumption to they’ll raise rates unless the data suggests it’s not necessary,” said Kohn, whose reading was shared by others at the Kansas City Fed’s annual symposium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

The "presumption" will be that offenders are tagged and will face longer periods of supervision and tough new rules including "restriction zones", Burnham said.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

A statement in a legal document will be interpreted adversarially, without the presumption of cooperation that governs an ordinary conversation, so every exception must be spelled out.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

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

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

But Ulman has strung together a net of interesting observations: glances, insults, mistaken presumptions and gaslighting fibs.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 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

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Related Words

• assumption
• likelihood
• premise
• supposition
• suspicion

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