Presume vs Guess - What's the difference?
presume | guess |
With infinitive object: to be so presumptuous as (to do something) without proper authority or permission.
To assume to be true (without proof); to take for granted, to suppose.
* 2011 , John Patterson, The Guardian , 5 Feb 2011:
To be presumptuous; with (on), (upon), to take advantage (of), to take liberties (with).
* 1994 , Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom , Abacus 2010, p. 75:
To reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion.
To solve by a correct conjecture; to conjecture rightly.
(chiefly, US) to suppose (introducing a proposition of uncertain plausibility).
* Shakespeare
* Alexander Pope
*
(obsolete) To hit upon or reproduce by memory.
* Shakespeare
A prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support.
*
As verbs the difference between presume and guess
is that presume is to perform, do (something) without authority; to lay claim to without permission while guess is to reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion.As a noun guess is
a prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support.presume
English
Alternative forms
* (archaic)Verb
(presum)- Don't make the decision yourself and presume too much.
- I wouldn't presume to tell him how to do his job.
- If we presume that human cloning may one day become a mundane, everyday reality, then maybe it's time to start thinking more positively about our soon-to-arrive genetically engineered pseudo-siblings.
- Piliso then vented his anger on us, accusing us of lying to him. He said we had presumed on his hospitality and the good name of the regent.
Quotations
* Paw prints in the snow presume a visit from next door's cat. * Dr. Livingstone, I presume ?Synonyms
* (l)Derived terms
* presumed perpetratorAnagrams
* ----guess
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) . More at (l).Verb
- He who guesses the riddle shall have the ring.
- That album is quite hard to find, but I guess you could try ordering it online.
- Not all together; better far, I guess , / That we do make our entrance several ways.
- But in known images of life I guess / The labour greater.
- Tell me their words, as near as thou canst guess them.
Synonyms
* hypothesize * take a stab * speculateDerived terms
* foreguess * guess what * guessable * guesser * guessing game * guesstimate * guesswork * keep someone guessing * no prize for guessing * out-guess * second-guess * you'll never guessEtymology 2
From (etyl) gesse. Cognate with (etyl) .Noun
(es)- If you don't know the answer, take a guess .