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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.
Synonyms
Examples of presume in a Sentence
Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) Christophe Gans helmed this genre-bending imagining of the Beast of Gévaudan, a mysterious species in French folklore presumed responsible for multiple gruesome killings in the village between 1764 and 1767.
—EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
The alleged victim was never officially identified but was presumed to be Garcia.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Harris enters election day presumed to capture 226 votes from Democratic-leaning states, according to the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Presume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presume. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
presume
verb
Legal Definition
presume
transitive verb
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