assume

Everyday

1. To assume is to think something is true without checking or having proof. tree →
2. To assume a job or responsibility is to take it on: «She assumed the role of captain.» tree →
3. To assume a look, shape or position is to take it: «The cat assumed a sleepy pose.» tree →
4. To take on a voice or manner as a disguise or pretence. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and science, you sometimes assume something to solve a problem («Assume the car travels at the same speed»), and you must say what you assumed. In everyday life and friendships, assuming things can cause mistakes and hurt feelings, so it is better to ask. Phrases: «I assume (that)…», «assuming that…», «don't assume», «assume responsibility».

Examples

• I assume you have finished your homework. tree →
• Don't assume she's angry — ask her. tree →
• Assume each bag holds the same number of apples. tree →
• Assuming it doesn't rain, we'll have a picnic. tree →
• He assumed the bus would wait, but it left. tree →
• The vice captain assumed control when the captain was ill. tree →
• The caterpillar assumed a new shape inside its cocoon. tree →
• Never assume a dog is friendly; ask the owner first. tree →
• Assuming the Prince’s voice, she whispered in Potentilla’s ear: tree →

Note

Noun: assumption («make an assumption»). Pattern: «assume (that) + sentence». In word problems, «assume» tells you a fact to use even if it is not perfectly true in real life (no wind, equal sharing). Safety: do not assume a road is clear — look both ways.

In Jewish tradition

In maths and science, you sometimes assume something to solve a problem («Assume the car travels at the same speed»), and you must say what you assumed. In everyday life and friendships, assuming things can cause mistakes and hurt feelings, so it is better to ask. Phrases: «I assume (that)…», «assuming that…», «don't assume», «assume responsibility».

Examples

• Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• Do not assume that just because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other countries. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• We must therefore assume that the Sefer Yetzirah considers n to play the same part among the vowel letters as zero does among numerals. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Noun: assumption («make an assumption»). Pattern: «assume (that) + sentence». In word problems, «assume» tells you a fact to use even if it is not perfectly true in real life (no wind, equal sharing). Safety: do not assume a road is clear — look both ways.