presume
verb
Simple meaning
To assume or suggest to be true.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
prihzoomSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
pɹɪˈzum
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To assume or suggest to be true (without proof); to take for granted, to suppose.
Take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof
Take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
Take liberties or act with too much confidence
transitive
To be so presumptuous as (to do something) without proper authority or permission [with to (+ infinitive)].
intransitive
To impose (on) for one's advantage; to be presumptuous; to take advantage (of); to take liberties (with) [with on or upon].
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To assume or suggest to be true (without proof); to take for granted, to suppose.
Used this way, presume is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use presume
- “A restaurant bill presumes the consumption of food.”verb
Share your sentence
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to assume or suggest to be true (without proof)
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “presume” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.