assumption

noun

ə-ˈsəm(p)-shən How to pronounce assumption (audio)
Definition of assumptionnext
1
as in theory
something taken as being true or factual and used as a starting point for a course of action or reasoning the widespread assumption that violent entertainment leads to violent behavior in children your argument is faulty because it's based on erroneous assumptions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims his air of assumption tended to put people off rather quickly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assumption After slamming the assumptions employers may have about larger people, Fisher-Becker ended his video with a call to action. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2025 The general assumption, however, was that the blight of 1845 was a one-off event. — Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 The underlying assumption is that planning can avoid deep potholes. — Allen Best, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025 People will chew on the Broadway first of an Othello directed and lead-produced by black men—Leon and Brian Anthony Moreland, respectively—and cut their assumptions about that to fit their pre-existing views. — Maya Singer, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for assumption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assumption
  1. theory
  2. arrogance
  3. premise
  4. superiority
  5. hypothesis
  6. attitude
  7. belief
  8. presumption
Noun
  • The theory is soon put to rest, though, when Rivera Garza starts receiving strange messages from the killer, signed with the names of different female artists.
    — Nicolás Medina Mora, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • This is a theory that has been championed by Polish theoretical physicist Nikodem Poplawski of the University of New Haven.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of theory
Noun
  • The toxic combination of Trump’s pro-Russia leanings, Vice President J. D. Vance’s arrogance and condescension, and Musk’s sad case of advanced poster’s disease have tanked America’s reputation among its traditional allies.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • But jealousy and arrogance get the best of Hamilton, who insinuates himself into the defense team, believing this action will help his political and financial setbacks.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • Marvel successfully argued in court in 2003 that X-Men action figures are non-human toys (despite the premise of the franchise) rather than dolls, nearly halving their tax rate.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025
  • But the premises of this New York space will remind you not at all of a diner but of a sophisticated but unpretentious dining room done all in red with pink and red tablecloths.
    — John Mariani, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of premise
Noun
  • Wealth isn’t about intelligence or moral superiority.
    — Greg Clement, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Lopez and the co-sponsors want to cloak themselves in moral superiority and call it a day.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • The leading explanation for all of these mysteries is known as the giant impact hypothesis.
    — Paul Sutter, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The causes of both events had been long debated, however one hypothesis has linked them to depletions in the Earth's protective ozone layer, such as might be caused by a supernova going off in local space.
    — David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of hypothesis
Noun
  • How an Overly Sunny Demeanor Could Affect You Of course, if your exclusively positive attitude is rubbing others the wrong way, that doesn’t bode well for your relationships.
    — Cathy Cassata, Health, 14 Mar. 2025
  • But the attitude of our coaches was, ‘Again, again — next goal, next goal’.
    — Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of attitude
Noun
  • The actor recently appeared on The Pivot podcast and elaborated on his belief that male leaders are not only losing their authority but that young men will increasingly fail to learn from their example and exacerbate the problem exponentially.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The incident has led to speculation and reporting that Dropkick Murphys were banned from X due to Casey’s comments and broadly left-leaning, anti-Trump political beliefs.
    — Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of belief
Noun
  • The presumption is that LLMs tend to favor certain word choices, sentence structures, and linguistic patterns that differ subtly from typical human writing.
    — Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025
  • In the United States, there is a presumption that public information belongs to the public.
    — Josh Ocampo, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of presumption

Browse Nearby Words

assumption
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assumption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assumption. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on assumption

Nglish: Translation of assumption for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about assumption

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All