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Deduce vs Surmise - What's the difference?

deduce | surmise |

As verbs the difference between deduce and surmise

is that deduce is to reach a conclusion by applying rules of logic to given premises while surmise is to conjecture, to opine or to posit with contestable premises.

As a noun surmise is

thought, imagination, or conjecture, which may be based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess.

deduce

English

Verb

  • To reach a conclusion by applying rules of logic to given premises.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • O goddess, say, shall I deduce my rhymes / From the dire nation in its early times?
  • * John Locke
    • Reasoning is nothing but the faculty of deducing unknown truths from principles already known.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • See what regard will be paid to the pedigree which deduces your descent from kings and conquerors.
  • (obsolete) To take away; to deduct; to subtract.
    • to deduce a part from the whole
    (Ben Jonson)
  • (obsolete, Latinism) To lead forth.
  • * Selden
    • He should hither deduce a colony.

    Usage notes

    For example, from the premises "all good people believe in the tooth fairy" and "Jimmy does not believe in the tooth fairy", we deduce the conclusion "Jimmy is not a good person". This particular form of deduction is called a syllogism. Note that in this case we reach a false conclusion by correct deduction from a false premise.

    Antonyms

    * (reach a conclusion by applying rules of logic)

    Synonyms

    * (reach a conclusion by applying rules of logic)

    Related terms

    (terms related to "deduce") * adduce * conduct * conducive * deduct * deduction * duke * induce * introduce * reduce * reduction * seduce * subduction * transduce

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    surmise

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Thought, imagination, or conjecture, which may be based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess.
    • surmises of jealousy or of envy
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • No man ought to be charged with principles he actually disowns, unless his practices contradict his profession; not upon small surmises .
  • * 1919 ,
    • The meeting had been devoid of incident. No word had been said to give me anything to think about, and any surmises I might make were unwarranted. I was intrigued.
  • Reflection; thought; posit.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Verb

    (surmis)
  • To conjecture, to opine or to posit with contestable premises.

    • External links

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