Assume

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈsjuːm/

Definitions

1. to accept something as true without proof or to take on a responsibility or role
2. to take something for granted without verification or to adopt a specific position or duty
3. to suppose something is true without evidence or to undertake a certain function or obligation

Etymology: The verb "assume" arrived in English from Latin "assūmere," a compound of "ad-" ("to, towards") and "sūmere" ("take up"), so its core sense is literally "to take to oneself." That physical idea of taking something up is still visible in the older meanings. English speakers once used "assume" to mean seizing power or taking on a role, or putting on clothing or a quality, before the sense of taking something for granted became dominant. The mental sense works by the same logic. To assume something is to take a proposition up and hold it as true without checking it, which is why the word sits so close to "presume" and "suppose." The Latin root "sūmere" is also the source of "consume" and "resume," which share the same basic idea of taking something up or taking it in.

Synonyms: presume, suppose, take for granted, accept, believe

Antonyms: doubt, question, disbelieve