presume

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English presumen,^[2][3] partly borrowed from Old French presumer and partly from Latin praesūmō, the source of the French verb.^[4][3][5] In Old French presumer meant to assume or take for granted from about 1200, and in Anglo-Norman also to take something without right and to take the liberty of doing something.^[4][6] In classical Latin the verb meant to take beforehand, to anticipate or to take for granted, and in post-classical Latin also to be arrogant (Tertullian, early 3rd century) and to dare (early 5th century).^[4] It is formed from prae- (“before”) and sūmō (“to take”),^[4][3][7][8] itself from sub- (“up from under”) and emō (“to take, buy”),^[3][9][10] from Proto-Indo-European *em- (“to take, distribute”).^[3][7] The verb has cognates in Old Occitan presumir, Catalan presumir, Spanish presumir, Portuguese presumir and Italian presumere.^[4] It is related to assume, consume and resume.^[9][11]

Earliest recorded meaning

To venture upon something, to lay a presumptuous claim to it: before 1382, in the prefatory epistle of St Jerome in the Wycliffite Bible.^[4] Barnhart has the sense "take for granted, assume overconfidently" already about 1378, in a version of Piers Plowman.^[5] The MED's first sense is to undertake something without warrant, to take it upon oneself.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The two branches of the Latin verb, "to take upon oneself" and "to take for granted", both came into English in the 14th century.^[4][3] Chaucer used the verb with an infinitive, to dare or take the liberty to do something, by about 1390, and with a clause, to assume or suppose, by about 1395.^[4] In early use the sense of assuming carried a suggestion of overconfidence, and the law took it up for taking something as true until it is disproved.^[4] Etymonline quotes the Century Dictionary's definition: to presume is to hold a provisional opinion on the knowledge one has, until it is changed or overthrown by more information.^[3] From the early 15th century the verb was also intransitive, to go beyond what is proper or to press forward presumptuously.^[3][5] Several senses died out: to seize or usurp (1387–1475),^[4][12] to lay claim to something (1415–1609) and to claim or profess (until 1717).^[4] Johnson (1755) gave "to suppose; to believe previously without examination" first, and "to venture without positive leave" third.^[13] A noun presume, presumption or audacity, was used from 1590 to 1774.^[4]

Timeline

• before 1382 – to venture on, lay claim to presumptuously.^[4]
• 1387 – to take possession of without right (obsolete by 1475).^[4][12]
• c. 1390 – with an infinitive, to dare, take the liberty, in Chaucer's Physician's Tale.^[4]
• c. 1395 – to assume, take for granted, in Chaucer's Merchant's Tale.^[4]
• 1415 – intransitive, presume of, to lay claim to; to behave presumptuously.^[4][5]
• before 1450 – to act with an assumption of right; to take liberties, often presume on.^[4]
• 1590 – noun presume, presumption (obsolete by 1774).^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To assume or take something for granted without proof: I presume the train will be late again.^[14][10][4]
2. To dare or take the liberty to do something without the right or permission: Would you presume to correct the professor?^[14][10][4]
3. To expect or count on something in advance.^[10][4]
4. presume on or upon: to rely too much on something, or to take advantage of it: Don't presume on their patience.^[14][4]
5. (law) To take something as proved until evidence to the contrary is given.^[14][4]

Word family

• presumedly
• presumer
• presumable
• presumably

Related words

• presumption
• presumptive
• presumptuous
• assume
• consume
• resume

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
6. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
7. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
8. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ a b Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
10. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
11. ^ Skeat, Walter W. (1911), A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, new ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
12. ^ a b Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)
13. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
14. ^ a b c d Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins