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The Difference Between Assume and Presume
Assume and presume both mean "to take something for granted" or "to take something as true," but the words differ in the degree of confidence the person assuming or presuming has. Presume is used when someone is making an informed guess based on reasonable evidence. Assume is used when the guess is based on little or no evidence.
Presume functions a little differently in the legal catchphrase "presumed innocent until proven guilty." That sense of presume is separately defined as "to suppose to be true without proof." It is based on the fact that legal systems grant a defendant the presumption of innocence, thereby placing the burden of proof on the prosecution.
Examples of assume in a Sentence
Oleg Chanchikov, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Collectors who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Wiley’s paintings in the past are sitting on investments whose value might not be what it once was assumed to be.
—Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
And after the chaos Washington descended into following the 2020 election, analysts might be prudent to assume Trump wouldn’t take another loss without an intense battle.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024
Finally, after 20 years of struggle, protests, court battles and even picketing the home of Warren Buffett, whose company had assumed ownership of the dams, an agreement was reached to demolish the dams.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Assume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assume. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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assume
verb
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