Conjecting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of proposing a notion or forming an opinion without complete evidence often occurs in scenarios of speculation or hypothesis formation
2. Engaging in the formation of theories or opinions based on uncertain data or incomplete insights is characteristic of this activity
3. The act of forming a hypothesis or opinion based on incomplete information typically involves speculation and thought processes in uncertain situations

Etymology: "Conjecting" is the present participle and gerund of "conject", a verb that came into English from Latin "conjectus", the past participle of "conicere", meaning "to throw together." The Latin verb combined "com-", meaning "together," with "iacere", "to throw," so its original sense was physical: gathering things or hurling them into one place. The idea of throwing things together gradually turned into the mental act of piecing together scattered clues, and from there into forming a judgment on incomplete information. That is the path the modern sense follows. To conject is to reach a conclusion by throwing ideas together without enough evidence to settle the matter, so the word preserves the image of a guess built from fragments rather than from proof. The verb is much rarer than its noun relative "conjecture," which is the form most readers meet.

Synonyms: hypothesizing, guessing