presume
American Heritage Dictionary:
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pre·sume
(prĭ-zūm') 
v., -sumed, -sum·ing, -sumes. v.tr.
presumer pre·sum'er n.
v., -sumed, -sum·ing, -sumes. v.tr.
- To take for granted as being true in the absence of proof to the contrary: We presumed she was innocent.
- To constitute reasonable evidence for assuming; appear to prove: A signed hotel bill presumes occupancy of a room.
- To venture without authority or permission; dare: He presumed to invite himself to dinner.
- To act overconfidently; take liberties.
- To take unwarranted advantage of something; go beyond the proper limits: Don't presume on their hospitality.
- To take for granted that something is true or factual; suppose: That's the new assistant, I presume.
[Middle English presumen, from Old French presumer, from Late Latin praesūmere, from Latin, to anticipate : prae-, pre- + sūmere, to take.]
presumedly pre·sum'ed·ly (-zū'mĭd-lē) adv.presumer pre·sum'er n.
SYNONYMS presume, presuppose, postulate, posit, assume. These verbs signify to take something for granted or as being a fact. To presume is to suppose that something is reasonable or possible in the absence of proof to the contrary: "I presume you're tired after the long ride" (Edith Wharton). Presuppose can mean to believe or suppose in advance: It is unrealistic to presuppose a sophisticated knowledge of harmony in a beginning music student. Postulate and posit denote the assertion of the existence, reality, necessity, or truth of something as the basis for reasoning or argument: "We can see individuals, but we can't see providence; we have to postulate it" (Aldous Huxley). To assume is to accept something as existing or being true without proof or on inconclusive grounds: "We must never assume that which is incapable of proof" (G.H. Lewes).
Roget's Thesaurus:
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presume
verb
- To take for granted without proof: assume, posit, postulate, premise, presuppose, suppose. Informal reckon. See belief/unbelief.
- To have the courage to put forward, as an idea, especially when rebuff or criticism is likely: dare, hazard, pretend, venture. See try.
- To take advantage of unfairly: abuse, exploit, impose, use. See treat well/treat badly/treat.
Antonyms by Answers.com:
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presume
v
Definition: dare; take the liberty
Antonyms: abstain
v
Definition: make assumption; believe
Antonyms: disbelieve
Word Tutor:
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presume
IN BRIEF: To dare. Also: To feel sure with confidence.
I presume you like chocolate cake, so that is what we will have for dessert.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'presume'
- Belief and Conception - presume: assume or suppose to be true as a matter of fact
- Approval, Respect, and Recognition - presume: (vb) assume to be true without proof
See crossword solutions for the clue Translations:
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Presume
Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - antage, driste sig til, misbruge
v. intr. - gå for vidt
Nederlands (Dutch)
aannemen, veronderstellen, durven, met zwier doen
Français (French)
v. tr. - supposer, présumer, présupposer (que), se permettre de faire
v. intr. - abuser de (qn, gentillesse)
Deutsch (German)
v. - annehmen, sich anmaßen
Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - υποθέτω, προϋποθέτω, αποτολμώ, παίρνω το θάρρος, θεωρώ δεδομένο
Italiano (Italian)
supporre, permettersi, presumere, congetturare, immaginare, prendersi la libertà di, osare
Português (Portuguese)
v. - presumir
Русский (Russian)
предполагать
Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - suponer, presumir, imaginarse
v. intr. - suponer, presumir, imaginarse
Svenska (Swedish)
v. - anta, förmoda, förutsätta, drista sig, ta sig friheten, begagna sig av, missbruka
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
擅自, 假定, 假设, 冒昧, 推测, 认为, 擅自行为, 放肆, 相信, 设想
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 擅自, 假定, 假設, 冒昧, 推測, 認為
v. intr. - 擅自行為, 放肆, 相信, 設想
한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 추정하다, 상상하다
v. intr. - 기대하다, 믿다
日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 仮定する, 真実と推定する, 想像する, 思う, あえて…する, でしゃばる, 付け込む, 推定する
العربيه (Arabic)
(فعل) يفترض, يخمن
עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - חשב, הניח, שיער, העז
v. intr. - הרשה לעצמו, העז, ניצל ללא נקיפות מצפון
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Mentioned in
Turow, Scott L.
(Quotes By)
Stanley, Sir Henry Morton
(British journalist and explorer)
I dare say
(Idiom)
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