assumptions

Definition of assumptionsnext
plural of assumption
as in theories
something taken as being true or factual and used as a starting point for a course of action or reasoning the widespread assumption that violent entertainment leads to violent behavior in children your argument is faulty because it's based on erroneous assumptions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assumptions Kansas City officials project 650,000 visitors for the 2026 World Cup, but experts and fine print raise questions about the assumptions behind that number. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026 Spirit based its turnaround plan on lower fuel costs, but a surge in fuel prices tied to the Iran war upended those assumptions. Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026 Over time, this creates a foundation for a feedback loop in which incentive programs can be designed and optimized based on measurable outcomes rather than assumptions. Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026 While we might be inclined to think of space and time as eternally expansive and divisible, the ultrafinitist would argue that these are assumptions that science has increasingly brought into question — much as, Zeilberger might say, science brought doubt to God’s doorstep. Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026 Contrary to traditional medical assumptions, the study found that monthly increases in pollution exposure were particularly dangerous for demographics often considered lower risk. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026 In addition, any opinions and assumptions expressed herein are made as of the date of this communication and are subject to change and/or withdrawal without notice. Katie Stockton, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2026 Those assumptions can extend beyond her as well, sometimes affecting the people closest to her — including her husband. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026 Most of us remain trapped in our own language bubble and cultural assumptions, and the publishing industry is no exception. The Dial, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assumptions
Noun
  • Stirs some theories, too, about said coach’s real feelings about the pick.
    Zak Keefer, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • In a new book, Geoff Kelly traces how the artworks moved through criminal networks, where violence took the lives of key suspects and witnesses, and challenges long-circulating theories by revisiting key details.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Ensure your home is securely locked when vacating the premises.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Ensure your home is securely locked when vacating the premises.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • What is emerging is a picture of an artist of profound mathematical acuity, who mobilized geometric, sequential, and modular forms to test hypotheses on interrelation, regeneration, and evolution in pursuit of mystical revelation.
    Katherine Rochester, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2026
  • His method of intellectual humility is to admit ignorance, test variables and revise working hypotheses based on new data, staying open to suggestions from others the whole time.
    Deana L. Weibel, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Early cultures, including Native American tribes, looked to the heavens for time keeping, spiritual beliefs and navigation.
    Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • That’s one of the running themes of the show, which is the anatomy of bias, which was what are all the false beliefs that each of us had?
    Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Ruben does little to dissuade Niall’s presumptions.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026
  • This notion was based on outdated presumptions of hillforts as being occupied by violent, prehistoric savages.
    News Desk, Artforum, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Another postulates that sleep removes waste from the brain.
    Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The past eight months have exposed both suppositions.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • As Jackie herself once reminded John, a Kennedy has no choice but to accept that the press and public will speculate, interpret, exaggerate, and invent notions about them based on their own suppositions.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assumptions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assumptions. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on assumptions

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster