# presumed

/pɹəˈzumd/ (US) · /pɹɪzjˈuːmd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/presumed
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. supposed or likely

adjective · CEFR B2

thought to be true or certain, even though it has not been officially confirmed.

For teachers: accepted as true or probable based on strong inference, though lacking absolute verification.

- The presumed winner of the election began preparing his victory speech early.
- Despite the lack of a body, the presumed death of the explorer was eventually accepted by the authorities after years of silence.

### 2. assumed to be true

verb · CEFR B2

to have believed something was true because it seemed very likely.

For teachers: the past tense and past participle of 'presume', indicating an assumption made on the basis of probability.

- I presumed you were coming to the party since your car was in the driveway.
- The investigators presumed that the fire had started in the kitchen, though they waited for the forensic report to confirm their theory.

## Examples

- The presumed winner of the race waved to the crowd.
- The presumed cause of the fire was a faulty heater, but the official investigation is still ongoing.
- While the presumed heir to the throne was popular with the public, the legal council insisted on verifying the lineage before the formal coronation ceremony could proceed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.