assume
verb
as·sume ə-ˈsüm 
assumed; assuming
transitive verb
1
a
: to take to or upon oneself : undertake
assume responsibility
b
: to place oneself in
assume a position
2
: seize, usurp
assume control
3
: to pretend to have or be : feign
assumed an air of confidence in spite of her nervousness
4
: to take as granted or true : suppose
I assume he'll be there.
5
: to take over (the debts of another) as one's own
6
: put on, don
Mrs. Fairfax assumed her best black satin gown, her gloves, and her gold watch.
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë7
a
: to take up or in : receive
b
: to take into partnership, employment, or use
assumability
ə-ˌsü-mə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun assumable
ə-ˈsü-mə-bəl
adjective assumably
ə-ˈsü-mə-blē
adverb 
Did you know?
The Difference Between Assume and Presume
Assume and presume both mean "to take something for granted" or "to take something as true," but the words differ in the degree of confidence the person assuming or presuming has. Presume is used when someone is making an informed guess based on reasonable evidence. Assume is used when the guess is based on little or no evidence.
Presume functions a little differently in the legal catchphrase "presumed innocent until proven guilty." That sense of presume is separately defined as "to suppose to be true without proof." It is based on the fact that legal systems grant a defendant the presumption of innocence, thereby placing the burden of proof on the prosecution.
Synonyms
- accept
- bear
- shoulder
- take over
- undertake
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
I assumed he was coming, so I was surprised when he didn't show up. She assumed from his expression that he was confused. We'll be arriving around noon. That's assuming that our flight is on time. The king assumed the throne when he was very young. Under certain conditions, the chemical will assume the appearance of ice.
Recent Examples on the Web Nor is there any reason to assume that the Capitol Police or the Metropolitan Police was immune from the insidious bigotry, or infiltration by white supremacists, that plagued other police departments. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2022 At 73, King Charles III is the oldest person to assume the British throne. Matthew Mulligan, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2022 Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Danica Kirka, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2022 Journalists seem to assume that the platform’s petty arguments are some kind of real-time snapshot of public opinion. WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022 Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Danica Kirka, ajc, 8 Sep. 2022 Charles became the 62nd British monarch to assume the throne. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2022 Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Danica Kirka, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2022 The producer was in negotiations to assume the expansive role encompassing film and television for the comic book brand, but talks broke down in recent days. Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2022 See More
Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2022 At 73, King Charles III is the oldest person to assume the British throne. Matthew Mulligan, NBC News, 10 Sep. 2022 Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Danica Kirka, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2022 Journalists seem to assume that the platform’s petty arguments are some kind of real-time snapshot of public opinion. WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022 Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Danica Kirka, ajc, 8 Sep. 2022 Charles became the 62nd British monarch to assume the throne. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2022 Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Danica Kirka, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2022 The producer was in negotiations to assume the expansive role encompassing film and television for the comic book brand, but talks broke down in recent days. Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin assumere, from ad- + sumere to take — more at consume
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7a
Kids Definition
assume
verb
as·sume ə-ˈsüm
assumed; assuming
1
: to begin to take on or perform
assume responsibility
assumed the presidency
2
: to take or begin to have
The problem assumes greater importance now.
3
: to pretend to have or be
We both assumed an air of weary worldliness … Richard Peck, A Long Way from Chicago
Richard Peck, A Long Way from Chicago4
: to accept as true
I assume you're right.
Legal Definition
assume
transitive verb
as·sume
assumed; assuming
1
: to voluntarily take upon oneself
assume a risk
2
: to take over (the debts or obligations of another) as one's own
assume a mortgage
assumes
verb
1
as in accepts
to take to or upon oneself we promised to assume responsibility for any damage to the flower beds caused by the volleyball game in the backyard Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- accepts
- shoulders
- undertakes
- bears
- embraces
- adopts
- takes over
- agrees
- endorses
- supports
- advocates
- espouses
- acquiesces
- upholds
- assents
- consents
- accedes
- reassumes
- backs
- stands by
- champions
- takes up
- indorses
- reaccepts
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- disclaims
- repudiates
- disavows
- renounces
- refuses
- rejects
- disowns
- withdraws
- avoids
- retracts
- abjures
- recants
- spurns
- declines
- relinquishes
- bypasses
- abandons
- takes back
- forsakes
- refrains (from)
- spurns
- surrenders
- abstains (from)
- unsays
- forbears
- backtracks
- detours
- turns down
- backs off
- backs down
- abnegates
- gives up
2
as in presumes
to take as true or as a fact without actual proof everyone assumed, wrongly, that someone else was bringing dessert Synonyms & Similar Words
- presumes
- says
- believes
- thinks
- supposes
- presupposes
- concludes
- hypothesizes
- postulates
- accepts
- figures
- guesses
- insists
- premises
- dreams
- infers
- hypothecates
- claims
- suspects
- declares
- deduces
- speculates
- maintains
- surmises
- asserts
- imagines
- perceives
- contends
- credits
- conceives
- affirms
- takes for granted
- swallows
- theorizes
- gathers
- reckons
- alleges
- judges
- conjectures
- takes
- professes
- suspicions
- fancies
- avers
- avows
- preconceives
- avouches
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- denies
- wonders (about)
- doubts
- distrusts
- rejects
- challenges
- discredits
- disclaims
- disputes
- repudiates
- questions
- discounts
- disavows
- disbelieves
- controverts
- mistrusts
- refutes
- belies
- disproves
- disagrees (with)
- disowns
- rebuts
- confutes
3
as in guesses
to form an opinion from little or no evidence as I just assumed it was too late to go out, I didn't think to ask Synonyms & Similar Words
- guesses
- presumes
- supposes
- thinks
- suspects
- speculates
- imagines
- surmises
- believes
- infers
- conjectures
- suspicions
- expects
- concludes
- deduces
- hypothesizes
- daresays
- theorizes
- gathers
- conceives
- reckons
- hypothecates
- judges
- takes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- demonstrates
- proves
- establishes
- validates
- determines
- substantiates
- learns
- documents
- ascertains
- finds out
4
as in pretends
to present a false appearance of she assumed an air of nonchalance even though she was wildly ecstatic she was going on the date Synonyms & Similar Words
- pretends
- simulates
- affects
- feigns
- professes
- acts
- conceals
- poses
- dissembles
- makes believe
- forges
- imitates
- bluffs
- plays
- shams
- puts on
- impersonates
- counterfeits
- masquerades
- fakes
- passes (for)
- camouflages
- dissimulates
- lets on
- disguises
- masks
- playacts
- feints
- malingers
5
as in employs
to provide with a paying job assumed as partner by the prestigious law firm Synonyms & Similar Words
- employs
- hires
- recruits
- engages
- retains
- pays
- enlists
- fees
- lays on
- signs (up or on)
- takes on
- promotes
- places
- rehires
- partners
- jobs
- apprentices
- subcontracts
- contracts
- reengages
- reemploys
- upgrades
- scouts
- headhunts
- advances
- keeps (on)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- dismisses
- cans
- discharges
- axes
- fires
- sacks
- furloughs
- lays off
- locks out