conjectural

Everyday

(formal) Based on a guess or an idea that has not been proved, not on firm facts: «The date of the old map is conjectural». tree →

In the lessons

In history, science and maths texts, «conjectural» warns the reader that something is a guess: the colour of dinosaurs or the look of an ancient building may be conjectural. In maths, a conjecture is a statement that people think is true but nobody has proved yet (like the famous Goldbach conjecture). Phrases: «purely conjectural», «highly conjectural».

Examples

• The colours of the dinosaur in the picture are conjectural. tree →
• Any answer about life on other planets is still conjectural. tree →
• The museum said the drawing of the castle was partly conjectural. tree →
• His story about the treasure was purely conjectural. tree →
• Scientists test conjectural ideas with experiments. tree →
• The age of the cave paintings was once conjectural, but now it has been measured. tree →

Note

Formal word. It comes from «conjecture» (a guess; to guess). Said «kun-JEK-cher-ul». In maths, «conjectural» means «not proved yet», which is different from «false»: a conjecture may turn out true or false. Similar words: speculative, hypothetical, unproven.

In Jewish tradition

In history, science and maths texts, «conjectural» warns the reader that something is a guess: the colour of dinosaurs or the look of an ancient building may be conjectural. In maths, a conjecture is a statement that people think is true but nobody has proved yet (like the famous Goldbach conjecture). Phrases: «purely conjectural», «highly conjectural».

Examples

• The whole (arly history of Pythagoreanism is therefore conjectural, and all we really know of the school is what wc are told by Aristotle". (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Formal word. It comes from «conjecture» (a guess; to guess). Said «kun-JEK-cher-ul». In maths, «conjectural» means «not proved yet», which is different from «false»: a conjecture may turn out true or false. Similar words: speculative, hypothetical, unproven.