ASSUME

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does assume mean? 

• ASSUME (verb)
  The verb ASSUME has 9 senses:

1. take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

2. take on titles, offices, duties, responsibilities

3. take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect

4. take on as one's own the expenses or debts of another person

5. occupy or take on

6. seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession

7. make a pretence of

8. take up someone's soul into heaven

9. put clothing on one's body

  Familiarity information: ASSUME used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ASSUME (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they assume    ... he / she / it assumes   
Past simple: assumed   
Past participle: assumed   
-ing form: assuming   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

assume; presume; take for granted

Context example:

I assume his train was late

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

anticipate; expect (regard something as probable or likely)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assume"):

presuppose; suppose (take for granted or as a given; suppose beforehand)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

assumption (the act of assuming or taking for granted)

assumption (a hypothesis that is taken for granted)

assumption (a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn)

assumptive (accepted as real or true without proof)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take on titles, offices, duties, responsibilities

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

adopt; assume; take on; take over

Context example:

When will the new President assume office?

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

take office (assume an office, duty, or title)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assume"):

resume (assume anew)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

assumption (the act of taking possession of or power over something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

acquire; adopt; assume; take; take on

Context example:

The gods assume human or animal form in these fables

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assume"):

re-assume (take on again, as after a time lapse)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take on as one's own the expenses or debts of another person

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

accept; assume; bear; take over

Context example:

She agreed to bear the responsibility

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

take (take into one's possession)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assume"):

carry the can; face the music (accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

assumption (the act of taking possession of or power over something)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Occupy or take on

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

assume; strike; take; take up

Context example:

strike a pose

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Verb group:

fill; occupy; take (assume, as of positions or roles)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

arrogate; assume; seize; take over; usurp

Context example:

She seized control of the throne after her husband died

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

take (take by force)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assume"):

annex (take (territory) as if by conquest)

appropriate; capture; conquer; seize (take possession of by force, as after an invasion)

preoccupy (occupy or take possession of beforehand or before another or appropriate for use in advance)

hijack (seize control of)

raid (take over (a company) by buying a controlling interest of its stock)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

assumption (the act of taking possession of or power over something)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Make a pretence of

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

assume; feign; sham; simulate

Context example:

he feigned sleep

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

act; dissemble; pretend (behave unnaturally or affectedly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assume"):

play (pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity)

feint (deceive by a mock action)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Take up someone's soul into heaven

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

This is the day when Mary was assumed into heaven

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

invite; receive; take in (express willingness to have in one's home or environs)

Domain category:

Christian religion; Christianity (a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

Assumption ((Christianity) the taking up of the body and soul of the Virgin Mary when her earthly life had ended)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Put clothing on one's body

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

assume; don; get into; put on; wear

Context example:

He got into his jeans

Hypernyms (to "assume" is one way to...):

dress; get dressed (put on clothes)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "assume"):

hat (put on or wear a hat)

try; try on (put on a garment in order to see whether it fits and looks nice)

scarf (wrap in or adorn with a scarf)

slip on (put on with ease or speed)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

He was not long in assuming that Brissenden knew everything, and in deciding that here was the second intellectual man he had met.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Yet another attractive possibility is that dark matter—an invisible form of matter not made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons—interacts more strongly with normal matter or radiation than previously assumed.

(Measuring Growth of Universe Reveals a Mystery, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Scientists have assumed that the engram cells in the cortex that store memory were generated slowly.

(New Study Challenges Assumptions about How Memories Are Made, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

It had set, according to their account, into the most dreadful expression of fear and horror which a human countenance is capable of assuming.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Whether they or their judges had any part in penning those laws, which they assumed the liberty of interpreting, and glossing upon at their pleasure?

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

If you have a contract to sign at this time, you likely have an open pathway, assuming your lawyer has had time to look over the document and has given you the nod.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

At least, therefore, I did not assume the character of needless precipitance merely to show off before the ladies.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Cellular Retinoic Acid-Binding Proteins are assumed to play an important role in retinoic acid-mediated differentiation and proliferation processes.

(Cellular Retinoic Acid Binding Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

Then she assumed a rueful expression.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He assumed a mock extravagance, and went on: I am no attic singer, no ballroom warbler. And why? Because I am practical.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)