Don’t assume you understand the difference between presume and assume. See what I did there? Yes, these two words can often be used interchangeably because they give the same idea; coming to a conclusion. But the difference is rooted in how you’ve come to that conclusion. Was it a biased guess or one based on evidence?
What’s the Difference Between Assume and Presume?
It’s actually a fine line between the two words. You can use both to describe the action of supposing something or jumping to conclusions. The difference is all in the intent.
When it comes to assume vs. presume, presumed vs. assumed, or presumption vs. assumption, you have to consider what exactly led to the guess or conclusion. Presuming usually means that you came to the idea based on evidence or probability. To assume is just to come to your own conclusions without thought or the slightest bit of evidence.
Assume and presume are the verbs showing the action is being done. Presumed and assumed are the past tense verbs, letting people know it’s already been done. And presumption and assumption are the nouns given to whatever has been supposed.
Are Presume and Presumption the Same Thing?
They both mean the same thing; an authoritative guess, but presume is the verb, and presumption is the noun.
Synonyms for Assume
- Suppose
- Take it
- Take as read
- Deduce
- Conclude
Synonyms for Presume
- Speculate
- Postulate
- Come to conclusion
- Educated guess
Using Presume in a Sentence
- I presume you’ve already heard about the new project starting next month.
- Based on your silence, I presume you disagree with my email this morning.
- Don’t presume I’ll be joining you for dinner tonight.
- I presume you’ve had some interior design experience since it’s in your bio.
- We presume you’re looking for the manager’s office, correct?
- I presume you’ll meet the other woman since I have proof of your text message.
- Since you’re not answering your phone, I’m going to presume you’ll be late for the meeting again.
- Based on the same three meals you always cook, I’m going to presume we have chicken again tonight.
Using Assume in a Sentence
- Hello! I assume you’re here for the job interview?
- I’m assuming this is the right way to go.
- You can’t just assume whatever you want with no reasonable evidence to suit the idea in your head.
- Never assume things will work out for the better because they rarely do.
- Always assume the worst, and you’ll never be disappointed in your life.
- No, you can’t assume my guilt without some level of proof.
I’m Presuming You Understand Now
If you’ve read this guide, I can safely presume that you won’t ever get these two terms mixed up again. The trick to remembering the difference is with the old saying, “To assume makes an ass out of you and me,” and visualizing it as ass + U + me, which spells out the word assume.
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