Difference Between Presume and Assume

What is Presume?

The word presume is a verb. It means to infer, guess or suppose. Presume usually means to suppose based on a probability. It has a sort of guess with a likelihood of happening.

Presume is derived from a Latin word meaning ‘to take liberty’ or ‘to take for granted. Presume has the prefix ‘pre’ involved in it which carries some weight on the user using it.

In presume, the user takes charge of using the word with having a possibility of happening it due to some repetitional behaviour. One takes the edge of using the word ‘presume’ in the context of a series of events that happened before. Presume is a guess, but it is not a wild guess. The guess carries some responsibility for happening.

The word ‘presume’ itself is not used to mean getting sure of something actually happening, but one is sure of it to happen because it took place in the past in the same repeating pattern.

Presume can also mean having a belief of something most likely to happen, without having solid proof of it happening. No hint is involved in it, but it is your mind making you think of it to happen, due to some feasibility of happening it in past.

What is Assume?

The word assume is a transitive verb meaning to take upon one’s self as a responsibility. From a larger perspective, assume implies accepting something without questioning its certainty.

In assumption, the user does not even try to think of having a reason or proof of saying. One merely uses the word assume without even giving a second thought to the verification of what one is saying.

Assume is more towards taking the acceptance of something without any doubt, or without having a clue about its proof.

Assume is generally used when one only wants to suppose. It has no sort of guessing involved, it just is used to assume something abruptly.

The user has no burden to analyse the originality of the supposition. Assume is accepting without evidence. It is the acceptance of something without evaluating its validation.

One can assume anything, anywhere and in any form one likes. It depends on the person using it to use it as, and how he likes it. In fact, the user is blame-free for supposing something that may not happen anytime.

Difference Between Presume and Assume

The major difference between presume and assume is the acceptance of it. Presume is acceptance of something that has a probability of happening.

Assume is the mere acceptance of something without thinking about its evidence.

Presume is a dependent word which should have backend support to strengthen its validity. However, assume is independent in nature. The one who uses it is practically independent of using it according to his own requirements.

In presume you accept with a condition while assuming you accept it, as it is, without considering its authenticity.

Comparison Table Between Presume and Assume

Parameters of ComparisonPresumeAssume
AcceptanceAcceptance due to the probability of something likely to happenAccepting something without questioning its authenticity
WeightagePresume carries a higher weightage to be trueAssume is just a supposition or a wild guess
ConfidencePresume makes it more confident to be sure ofAssume you are sure but lack confidence
Burden of proofPresume carries some burden of its likelihood of happeningAssume is free from all the burdens, as it is just a guess
State of mindThe user using presume has some sort of support/evidence in his mindUsers do not even think about having support or evidence

References

  1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0021886393294003
  2. https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.87.062136