suppose

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See also: supposé

English

Etymology

From Middle English supposen, borrowed from Old French supposer, equivalent to prefix sub- (“under”) + poser (“to place”); corresponding in meaning to Latin supponere (“to put under, to substitute, falsify, counterfeit”), suppositum. See pose.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /səˈpəʊz/,
  • (US) IPA(key): /səˈpoʊz/,
  • Audio (US)(file)

Verb

suppose (third-person singular simple present supposes, present participle supposing, simple past and past participle supposed)

  1. (transitive) To take for granted; to conclude, with less than absolute supporting data; to believe.
    I suppose we all agree that this is the best solution.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 15, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
      ‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You're not dull enough! […] What about the kid's clothes? I don't suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn't you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’
  2. (transitive) To theorize or hypothesize.
    Suppose that A implies B and B implies C. Then A implies C.
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter V, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
      Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum, it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner. […] When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose.
    • 2013 September 6, David Cox, “Celebrity rules even Hawking's universe”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 13, page 30:
      Just what is supposed to be wrong with the pursuit of fame is not always made clear. Plato disapproved of competition for praise on the grounds that it would tempt the great to bend to the will of the crowd. It is hard to argue with that, and social degradation remains a fear.
  3. (transitive) To imagine; to believe; to receive as true.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To reckon to be, to account or esteem as.
  5. (transitive) To require to exist or to be true; to imply by the laws of thought or of nature.
    Purpose supposes foresight.
  6. (transitive) To put by fraud in the place of another.
    • 1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 30:
      A Water-monster, called the Nickard, does enter by night the chamber, where a woman is brought to bed, and stealeth when they are all sleeping, the new-born child and supposeth another in its place, which child growing up is like a monster and commonly dumb.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Chinese Pidgin English: supposey

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

French

Pronunciation

Verb

suppose

  1. inflection of supposer:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

Italian

Verb

suppose

  1. third-person singular past historic of supporre
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