conjecture

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: con=jec=ture

CIDE DICTIONARY

conjecture, n. [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.  [1913 Webster]
"He [Herodotus] would thus have corrected his first loose conjecture by a real study of nature."  [1913 Webster]
"Conjectures, fancies, built on nothing firm."  [1913 Webster]

conjecture, v. t. [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.  [1913 Webster]
"Human reason can then, at the best, but conjecture what will be."  [1913 Webster]

conjecture, v. i. 

 To make conjectures; to surmise; to guess; to infer; to form an opinion; to imagine.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

conjecture, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the formation of an opinion on incomplete information; guessing. b an opinion or conclusion reached in this way.
2 a (in textual criticism) the guessing of a reading not in the text. b a proposed reading.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. guess.
2 tr. (in textual criticism) propose (a reading).

Derivative

conjecturable adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF conjecture or L conjectura f. conjicere (as com-, jacere throw)

THESAURUS

conjecture

assume, assumption, axiom, believe, blind guess, bold conjecture, conceive, conclude, deem, estimate, expect, fancy, feel, gather, give a guess, glean, guess, guesswork, hazard a conjecture, hunch, hypothesis, imagine, infer, inference, judge, perhaps, postulate, postulation, postulatum, premise, presume, presumption, presupposal, presupposition, pretend, proposition, risk assuming, rough guess, set of postulates, shot, speculation, stab, supposal, suppose, supposing, supposition, surmise, suspect, take for granted, tentatively suggest, thesis, think, unverified supposition, venture a guess, wild guess, working hypothesis

ROGET THESAURUS

conjecture

Supposition

N supposition, assumption, assumed position, postulation, condition, presupposition, hypothesis, blue sky hypothesis, postulate, postulatum, theory, thesis, theorem, data, proposition, position, proposal, presumption, divination, conjecture, guess, guesswork, speculation, rough guess, shot, shot in the dark, conjecturality, surmise, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, estimate, approximation (nearness), inkling, suggestion, hint, intimation, notion, impression, bare supposition, vague supposition, loose supposition, loose suggestion, association of ideas, (analogy), metonym, metonymy, simile (metaphor), conceit, idea, thought, original idea, invention (imagination), supposing, given, mooted, postulatory, assumed, supposititious, suppositive, suppositious, gratuitous, speculative, conjectural, hypothetical, theoretical, academic, supposable, presumptive, putative, suppositional, suggestive, allusive, if, if so be, an, on the supposition, ex hypothesi, in the case, in the event of, quasi, as if, provided, perhaps, for aught one knows.

VB suppose, conjecture, surmise, suspect, guess, divine, theorize, presume, presurmise, presuppose, assume, fancy, wis, take it, give a guess, speculate, believe, dare say, take it into one's head, take for granted, imagine, put forth, propound, propose, start, put a case, submit, move, make a motion, hazard out, throw out a suggestion, put forward a suggestion, put forward conjecture, allude to, suggest, hint, put it into one's head, suggest itself, run in the head, marvel if, wonder if, wonder whether.