Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Conjecture
Con-jec′ture
(; 135?)
, Noun.
[L.
conjectura
, fr. conjicere
, conjectum
, to throw together, infer, conjecture; con-
+ jacere
to throw: cf. F. conjecturer
. See Jet
a shooting forth.] An opinion, or judgment, formed on defective or presumptive evidence; probable inference; surmise; guess; suspicion.
He [Herodotus] would thus have corrected his first loose
conjecture
by a real study of nature. Whewell.
Conjectures
, fancies, built on nothing firm. Milton.
Con-jec′ture
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Conjectured
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Conjecturing
.] [Cf. F.
conjecturer
. Cf. Conject
.] To arrive at by conjecture; to infer on slight evidence; to surmise; to guess; to form, at random, opinions concerning.
Human reason can then, at the best, but
conjecture
what will be. South.
Con-jec′ture
,Verb.
I.
To make conjectures; to surmise; to guess; to infer; to form an opinion; to imagine.
Webster 1828 Edition
Conjecture
CONJECTURE
,Noun.
1.
Literally, a casting or throwing together of possible or probable events; or a casting of the mind to something future, or something past but unknown; a guess, formed on a supposed possibility or probability of a fact, or on slight evidence; preponderance of opinion without proof; surmise. We speak of future or unknown things by conjecture, and of probable or unfounded conjectures.2.
Idea; notion.CONJECTURE
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2024
conjecture
conjecture
See also: conjecturé
English
Noun
conjecture (countable and uncountable, plural conjectures)
- (formal) A statement or an idea which is unproven, but is thought to be true; a guess.
- I explained it, but it is pure conjecture whether he understood, or not.
- (formal) A supposition based upon incomplete evidence; a hypothesis.
- The physicist used his conjecture about subatomic particles to design an experiment.
- (mathematics, philology) A statement likely to be true based on available evidence, but which has not been formally proven.
- (obsolete) Interpretation of signs and omens.
Synonyms
- halseny
- See also Wikisaurus:supposition
Related terms
Translations
unproven statement; guess
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supposition based upon incomplete evidence; a hypothesis
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statement likely to be true based on available evidence, but which has not been formally proven
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Verb
conjecture (third-person singular simple present conjectures, present participle conjecturing, simple past and past participle conjectured)
- (formal, intransitive) To guess; to venture an unproven idea.
- I do not know if it is true; I am simply conjecturing here.
- South
- Human reason can then, at the best, but conjecture what will be.
Translations
to guess
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External links
- conjecture in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- “conjecture” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
- conjecture in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
French
Noun
conjecture f (plural conjectures)
Verb
conjecture
- first-person singular present indicative of conjecturer
- third-person singular present indicative of conjecturer
- first-person singular present subjunctive of conjecturer
- third-person singular present subjunctive of conjecturer
- second-person singular imperative of conjecturer
Portuguese
Verb
conjecture
- first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of conjecturar
- third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of conjecturar
- third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of conjecturar
- third-person singular (você) negative imperative of conjecturar