Dictionary

assume en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /əˈsjuːm/
• /əˈzuːm/ African, especially Nigerian;
• /əˈsum/ yod-dropping
• (UK) audio
• /əˈʃuːm/ (rare) yod-coalescence

Etymology

From Latin assūmō (“accept, take”), from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + sūmō (“take up, assume”).

Meanings

1. To authenticate by means of belief; to surmise; to suppose to be true, especially without proof.
   • Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet. Perhaps we assume that our name, address and search preferences will be viewed by some unseen pair of corporate eyes, probably not human, and don't mind that much. 2013 June 14, Jonathan Freedland, “Obama's once hip brand is now tainted”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 18:
   • Levelling of ME /irC/ and /urC/, which Orton assumes for the whole of the North (S. Durham §§411-13), has not taken place in Dent and S.We, where ME /urC/ remains (4:46). 1967, Bertil Hedevind, The Dialect of Dentdale in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Uppsala: Appelbergs Boktryckeri AB, § 4.8, page 98:
   • We assume that, as her parents were dentists, she knows quite a bit about dentistry.
2. To take on a position, duty or form.
   • Such a scandal as the prosecution of a brother for forgery—with a verdict of guilty—is a most truly horrible, deplorable, fatal thing. It takes the respectability out of a family perhaps at a critical moment, when the family is just assuming the robes of respectability: […] it is a black spot which all the soaps ever advertised could never wash off. 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
   • So while Ralph generally seems to inhabit a different, more glorious and joyful universe than everyone else here his yearning and heartbreak are eminently relateable. Ralph sometimes appears to be a magically demented sprite who has assumed the form of a boy, but he’s never been more poignantly, nakedly, movingly human than he is here. 2012 August 5, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “I Love Lisa” (season 4, episode 15; originally aired 02/11/1993)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
   • His unruly hair was slicked down with water, and as Jessamy introduced him to Miss Brindle his face assumed a cherubic innocence which would immediately have aroused the suspicions of anyone who knew him. 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 96:
   • Trembling they stand while Jove assumes the throne. 1715–1720, Homer, “Book I”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC:
   • Mr. Jones will assume the position of a lifeguard until a proper replacement is found.
3. To adopt a feigned quality or manner; to claim without right; to arrogate.
   • He assumed an air of indifference.
   • ambition assuming the mask of religion. a. 1809,Beilby Porteus, sermon
   • Assume a virtue, if you have it not. c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:
4. To receive, adopt (a person).
   • The sixth was a young knight of lesser renown and lower rank, assumed into that honorable company. 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:
5. To adopt (an idea or cause).

Forms

Deriveds

misassume · preassume · just assume · when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me · coassume · assume the position · assumable · reassume · assume the mantle · assume room temperature

Relateds

assumptive · assumption · assuming

Translations (142)

uk займа́ти (take on a position) · de einnehmen (take on a position) · be меркава́ць (to suppose to be true) · ca suposar (to suppose to be true) · da antage (to suppose to be true) · cs předpokládat (to suppose to be true) · vi cho rằng (to suppose to be true) · de übernehmen (take on a position) · ru допусти́ть (to suppose to be true) · nb formode (to suppose to be true) · eo akcepti (adopt an idea) · es suponer (to suppose to be true) · hy ենթադրել (to suppose to be true) · de annehmen (adopt an idea) · km សន្មត (to suppose to be true) · sh pretpòstaviti (to suppose to be true) · fi omaksua (adopt an idea) · ar اِفْتَرَضَ (to suppose to be true) · vi đảm đương (take on a position) · uk допусти́ти (to suppose to be true) · ja 負う (take on a position) · fo halda (to suppose to be true) · la pono (to suppose to be true) · ro presupune (to suppose to be true) · fr assumer (take on a position) · la asciscō (adopt an idea) · uk припуска́ти (to suppose to be true) · tr farz etmek (to suppose to be true) · got 𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to suppose to be true) · it assumere (take on a position) · mk претпоставува (to suppose to be true) · sl domnevati (to suppose to be true) · eo alpreni (take on a position) · fi ottaa (take on a position) · be дапуска́ць (to suppose to be true) · la praesumo (to suppose to be true) · nl aannemen (adopt an idea) · cmn 假定 (to suppose to be true) · be дапушча́ць (to suppose to be true) · bg допу́сна (to suppose to be true) · es asumir (take on a position) · fa فرض کردن (to suppose to be true) · be прыпуска́ць (to suppose to be true) · nl innemen (take on a position) · pl przypuścić (to suppose to be true) · bg възприемам (adopt an idea) · nl aannemen (take on a position) · uk прийма́ти (adopt an idea) · bg възприема (adopt an idea) · fa حدس زدن (to suppose to be true) · ru принима́ть (adopt an idea) · de annehmen (take on a position) · ur فرض کرنا (to suppose to be true) · cs zaujmout (take on a position) · sq e zem (to suppose to be true) · eu uste izan (adopt an idea) · vi nhậm chức (take on a position) · nl veronderstellen (to suppose to be true) · cmn 接受 (adopt an idea) · ru допуска́ть (to suppose to be true) · ru приня́ть (adopt an idea) · es dar por sentado (to suppose to be true) · sv anta (to suppose to be true) · tr varsaymak (to suppose to be true) · de vermuten (to suppose to be true) · la adsumo (to suppose to be true) · ru предполага́ть (to suppose to be true) · fr prendre (adopt an idea) · ko 가정하다 (to suppose to be true) · gl asumir (take on a position) · fi olettaa (to suppose to be true) · eo alpreni (adopt an idea) · bg приемам (adopt an idea) · fr présumer (to suppose to be true) · ru занима́ть (take on a position) · es asumir (adopt an idea) · bg предполо́жа (to suppose to be true) · de unterstellen (to suppose to be true) · ja 引き受ける (take on a position) · it presupporre (to suppose to be true) · gl supor (to suppose to be true) · grc ὑπολαμβάνω (to suppose to be true) · cs nabrat (adopt an idea) · uk допуска́ти (to suppose to be true) · pl przypuszczać (to suppose to be true) · be дапусці́ць (to suppose to be true) · pt pressupor (to suppose to be true) · sh pretpòstavljati (to suppose to be true) · hu feltételez (to suppose to be true) · nl aannemen (to suppose to be true) · ca assumir (take on a position) · la adscisco (to suppose to be true) · sk predpokladať (to suppose to be true) · it ritenere (to suppose to be true) · ru предположи́ть (to suppose to be true) · cmn 採納 /采纳 (adopt an idea) · uk припусти́ти (to suppose to be true) · la insumo (to suppose to be true) · pl dopuścić (to suppose to be true) · la ascisco (to suppose to be true) · ro prepune (to suppose to be true) · sk domnievať sa (to suppose to be true) · fr supposer (to suppose to be true) · hu feltesz (to suppose to be true) · he הֵנִיחַ (to suppose to be true) · fi omaksua (take on a position) · bn অনুমান (to suppose to be true) · la sumo (to suppose to be true) · de aufnehmen (take on a position) · sh претпо̀ставити (to suppose to be true) · fr présupposer (to suppose to be true) · la spero (to suppose to be true) · eo supozi (to suppose to be true) · pt presumir (to suppose to be true) · pt supor (to suppose to be true) · de annehmen (to suppose to be true) · mk претпостави (to suppose to be true) · bg предпола́гам (to suppose to be true) · ru заня́ть (take on a position) · cs domnívat se (to suppose to be true) · cmn 承接 (take on a position) · de voraussetzen (to suppose to be true) · da formode (to suppose to be true) · pl dopuszczać (to suppose to be true) · vi lấy (take on a position) · be прыпусці́ць (to suppose to be true) · ca adoptar (adopt an idea) · vi gánh vác (take on a position) · fr adopter (adopt an idea) · nb anta (to suppose to be true) · bg пое́мам (take on a position) · zza ferz kerden (to suppose to be true) · bg зае́мам (take on a position) · bg приема (adopt an idea) · vi giả sử (to suppose to be true) · fr assumer (to suppose to be true) · bg допуска́м (to suppose to be true) · cmn 擔任 /担任 (take on a position) · pt assumir (take on a position) · mi whakatupu (take on a position) · ja 仮定する (to suppose to be true) · sh претпо̀стављати (to suppose to be true)