presumptive

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English

WOTD – 28 January 2024

Etymology

PIE word
*upó

From Late Middle English presumptif, presumptijf (“based on presumption”),[1] from Anglo-Norman presumptif and Middle French presumptif, présomptif (“based on presumption; of an heir or heiress: presumed to be entitled to inherit unless someone with a superior entitlement is born; presumptuous”) (modern French présomptif), and directly from their etymon Late Latin praesumptivus (“based on presumption; bold; insolent”), from Latin praesūmptus (“presumed”) + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives). Praesūmptus is the perfect passive participle of praesūmō (“to presume”),[2] from prae- (prefix meaning ‘before; in front’) + sūmō (“to seize, take; to accept, presuppose; to undertake”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to distribute; to take”)).

Pronunciation

Adjective

presumptive (comparative more presumptive, superlative most presumptive)

  1. Based on presumption or conjecture; inferred, likely, presumed.
    By late May, he was already considered his party’s presumptive nominee.
    1. Often postpositive, as in heir presumptive: of an heir or heiress: presumed to be entitled to inherit unless someone with a superior entitlement is born.
      The Queen’s younger brother was the heir presumptive to the throne, until she gave birth to her first child.
      • 1766, William Blackstone, “Of a Title by Descent”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book II (Of the Rights of Things), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 208:
        [B]y lavv no inheritance can veſt, nor can any perſon be the actual complete heir of another, till the anceſtor is previouſly dead. Nemo eſt haeres viventis [No one is the heir of the living]. Before that time the perſon vvho is next in the line of ſucceſſion is called an heir apparent, or heir preſumptive. […] Heirs preſumptive are ſuch, vvho, if the anceſtor ſhould die immediately, vvould in the preſent circumſtances of things be the heirs; but vvhoſe right of inheritance may be defeated by the contingency of ſome nearer heir being born: as a brother, or nephevv, vvhoſe preſumptive ſucceſſion may be deſtroyed by the birth of a child; or a daugher, vvhoſe preſent hopes may be hereafter cut off by the birth of a ſon. Nay, even if the eſtate hath deſcended, by the death of the ovvner, to ſuch brother, or nephevv, or daughter; in the former caſes the eſtate ſhall be deveſted and taken avvay by the birth of a poſthumous child; and, in the latter, it ſhall alſo be totally deveſted by the birth of a poſthumous ſon.
    2. (embryology) Of a cell or tissue: which has yet to differentiate, but is presumed to develop into a particular body part.
  2. Synonym of presumptuous (“making unwarranted presumptions or assumptions, often out of arrogance or excessive self-confidence, and thus exceeding what is appropriate or right”)
    Synonym: presuming
    Forgive me for being presumptive, but aren’t you and Mark engaged?
    • 1646, Thomas Browne, “A Digression concerning Blacknesse”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: , London: T H for Edward Dod, , →OCLC, 6th book, page 334:
      There being therefore tvvo opinions repugnant unto each other, it may not be preſumptive or skepticall in me to doubt of both, and becauſe vve remaine imperfect in the generall theory of Colours, vvee ſhall deliver at preſent a ſhort diſcovery of blacknes, vvherein although perhaps vve afford no greater ſatisfaction then others, yet ſhall our attempts exceed any; for vvee ſhall empirically and ſenſibly diſcourſe hereof, deducing the cauſes of Blackneſſe from ſuch originalls in Nature, as vve doe generally obſerve things are denigrated by Art: […]
    • 1748, [Tobias Smollett], chapter LIX, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. , volume II, London: [William Strahan] for J Osborn , →OCLC, page 258:
      The inſolence of your reply to me yeſterday, in the long-room, I might have overlooked, had not your preſumptive emulation in a much more intereſting affair, and a diſcovery vvhich I made this morning, concurred in perſuading me to chaſtiſe your audacity vvith my ſvvord.
  3. (often law) Chiefly in presumptive evidence: providing a reasonable basis for a certain presumption or conclusion to be drawn.
    • 1766, William Blackstone, “Of the Title to Things Real, in General”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book II (Of the Rights of Things), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 197:
      The perſon in this ſituation [having a mere right of property without possession or the right of possession of the property] may have the true ultimate property of the lands in himſelf: but by the intervention of certain circumſtances, either by his ovvn negligence, the ſolemn act of his anceſtor, or the determination of a court of juſtice, the preſumptive evidence of that right is ſtrongly in favour of his antagoniſt; vvho has thereby obtained the abſolute right of poſſeſſion.
    • 1850, Herman Melville, “Edging Away”, in White Jacket; or, The World in a Man-of-War, volume I, London: Richard Bentley, , →OCLC, pages 182–183:
      Though we had seen no land since leaving Calloa, Cape Horn was said to be somewhere to the West of us; and though there was no positive evidence of the fact, the weather encountered might be accounted pretty good presumptive proof.

Derived terms

Translations

of a cell or tissue: which has yet to differentiate, but is presumed to develop into a particular body part

See also

References

  1. ^ “prēsumptī̆f, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ Compare “presumptive, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2023; “presumptive, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

Swedish

Adjective

presumptive

  1. definite natural masculine singular of presumptiv
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