assume
Americanverb (used with object)
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assumes,
present (3rd person singular)
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assumed,
past participle, past
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assuming
present participle
-
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)
-
assumes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
assumed,
past participle, past
-
assuming
present participle
verb
-
(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:
When calculating total sea ice extent, scientists assume this region is covered by ice.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
Rather than assume personalized pricing is always bad for consumers, it should account for the possible benefits suggested by scholars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
"There is no reason to assume Britain would be an exception," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
I think people assume that the guy who created “The Twilight Zone” and was this really creepy, ominous host must have been this very dark and tormented person.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 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
McKinney acknowledged his approach assumes the city and county can increase available shelter space, but hopes to use his office to pressure local officials into expanding available services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said the end of the coalition's mission marked "Iraq's transition to a phase in which it assumes full responsibility for its security and stability".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
His long-term target assumes SpaceX’s business grows rapidly.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The analyst assumes coverage with an equal-weight rating and a $9.50 price target.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
It assumes that the well in Syene was sunk perpendicularly to the surface of the earth.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
By comparison, Air Canada’s internal guidance assumed fuel would average C$1.38 a liter in 3Q and C$1.29 in 4Q.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
She’s part of the fabled eastern San Fernando Valley Latino political machine, another group of former gatecrashes who assumed the trappings and stylings of the old guard once they assumed power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The 71-year-old from King's Lynn assumed that providing photos showing his missing leg would be enough proof to get his blue badge renewed by Norfolk County Council.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
"Autophagy and aging are so much more nuanced than previously assumed," said Moreno.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
He didn’t tell Toby that, obviously, so Toby assumed it was because the boy didn’t understand the material, and he came back with even easier assignments.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
George W. Bush spent as much time as possible at the West Texas ranch he bought just before assuming the presidency.
From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026
Rather than assuming that one diagnosis corresponds to one underlying pattern of brain activity, the findings suggest that depression can involve markedly different biological changes, sometimes even in opposite directions.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026
You could leave each of her children $108,000, which is more than generous, and reimburses them for the money your aunt gave you out, with interest, assuming that the down payment reduced their inheritance.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
It failed us all by assuming that what she deserved was fixed by what she did as an 18-year-old.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
In contrast, proteins—diverse, chatty, versatile, capable of assuming Zelig-like shapes and performing Zelig-like functions—were infinitely more attractive as gene carriers.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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