Assume

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: as=sume

CIDE DICTIONARY

Assume, v. t. [L. assumere; ad + sumere to take; sub + emere to take, buy: cf. F. assumer. See Redeem.].

•  To take to or upon one's self; to take formally and demonstratively; sometimes, to appropriate or take unjustly.  [1913 Webster]

  "Trembling they stand while Jove assumes the throne."  [1913 Webster]

  "The god assumed his native form again."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take for granted, or without proof; to suppose as a fact; to suppose or take arbitrarily or tentatively.  [1913 Webster]

  "The consequences of assumed principles."  [1913 Webster]
•  To pretend to possess; to take in appearance.  [1913 Webster]

  "Ambition assuming the mask of religion."  [1913 Webster]

  "Assume a virtue, if you have it not."  [1913 Webster]
•  To receive or adopt.  [1913 Webster]

  "The sixth was a young knight of lesser renown and lower rank, assumed into that honorable company."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To arrogate; usurp; appropriate.

Assume, v. i. 

•  To be arrogant or pretentious; to claim more than is due.  Bp. Burnet.  [1913 Webster]
•  To undertake, as by a promise.  Burrill.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Assume, v.tr.
1 (usu. foll. by that + clause) take or accept as being true, without proof, for the purpose of argument or action.
2 simulate or pretend (ignorance etc.).
3 undertake (an office or duty).
4 take or put on oneself or itself (an aspect, attribute, etc.) (the problem assumed immense proportions).
5 (usu. foll. by to) arrogate, usurp, or seize (credit, power, etc.) (assumed to himself the right of veto).

Derivative

assumable adj. assumedly adv.

Etymology

ME f. L assumere (as AD-, sumere sumpt- take)

THESAURUS

Assume

accept, account as, accroach, acquire, act, act a part, act like, admit, adopt, affect, affirm, allegorize, allow, allude to, appropriate, arrogate, assert, assume, assume command, attack, attempt, aver, be afraid, believe, bluff, borrow, bring, bring to mind, buckle to, call for, camouflage, change, chorus, cloak, colonize, come by, come in for, commandeer, comprise, conceal, concede, conceive, conclude, connote, conquer, consider, contain, copy, counterfeit, cover up, crib, dare, daresay, deduce, deem, derive, derive from, disguise, dissemble, dissimulate, ditto, divine, do, do a bit, do like, don, drag down, dramatize, draw, draw from, draw on, dream, dress in, echo, embark in, embark upon, employ, encroach, endeavor, engage in, enslave, entail, enter on, enter upon, esteem, estimate, expect, fake, fall into, fall to, fancy, feel, feign, forge, four-flush, gain, gammon, gather, get, get into, get on, get under way, go about, go at, go in for, go into, go like, go upon, grab, grant, guess, have, have a hunch, have an idea, have an impression, have an inkling, have at, have coming in, have the idea, hazard, hide, hint, histrionize, hog, hoke, hoke up, hold, hold as, imagine, imitate, implicate, imply, import, indent, infer, infringe, insinuate, intimate, invade, involve, judge, jump a claim, launch forth, launch into, lay about, lead to, let, let be, let on, let on like, look upon as, maintain, make a pretense, make as if, make believe, make bold, make free, make free with, make like, make out like, make use of, mask, mean, mean to say, mirror, mock, monopolize, mount the throne, move into, obtain, occupy, opine, overact, overrun, pirate, pitch into, plagiarize, play, play God, play a part, play a scene, play possum, playact, plunge into, point indirectly to, posit, postulate, predicate, preempt, prefigure, premise, preoccupy, prepossess, presume, presuppose, presurmise, pretend, pretend to, proceed to, profess, provisionally accept, pull, pull down, put on, put on airs, receive, reckon, reecho, reflect, regard, repeat, repute, require, requisition, say, secure, seize, seize power, seize the throne, set about, set at, set down as, set forward, set going, set to, sham, simulate, sit on, slip on, snatch, squat on, steal, strike, subjugate, subsume, suggest, suppose, surmise, suspect, tackle, take, take all of, take charge, take command, take for, take for granted, take in, take it, take it all, take on, take over, take possession, take possession of, take the helm, take the lead, take the liberty, take to be, take up, think, throw, trespass, trow, tug the heartstrings, turn to, understand, undertake, use, usurp, venture, venture upon, view as, wear, ween

ROGET THESAURUS

Assume

Severity

VB be severe, assume, usurp, arrogate, take liberties, domineer, bully, tyrannize, inflict, wreak, stretch a point, put on the screw, be hard upon, bear a heavy hand on, lay a heavy hand on, be down upon, come down upon, ill treat, deal hardly with, deal hard measure to, rule with a rod of iron, chastise with scorpions, dye with blood, oppress, override, trample under foot, tread under foot, tread upon, trample upon, tread down upon, trample down upon, crush under an iron heel, ride roughshod over, rivet the yoke, hold a tight hand, keep a tight hand, force down the throat, coerce, give no quarter.

Taking

VB take, catch, hook, nab, bag, sack, pocket, put into one's pocket, receive, accept, reap, crop, cull, pluck, gather, draw, appropriate, expropriate, impropriate, assume, possess oneself of, take possession of, commandeer, lay one's hands on, clap one's hands on, help oneself to, make free with, dip one's hands into, lay under contribution, intercept, scramble for, deprive of, take away, carry away, bear away, take off, carry off, bear off, adeem, abstract, hurry off with, run away with, abduct, steal, ravish, seize, pounce upon, spring upon, swoop to, swoop down upon, take by storm, take by assault, snatch, reave, snap up, nip up, whip up, catch up, kidnap, crimp, capture, lay violent hands on, get hold of, lay hold of, take hold of, catch hold of, lay fast hold of, take firm hold of, lay by the heels, take prisoner, fasten upon, grip, grapple, embrace, gripe, clasp, grab, clutch, collar, throttle, take by the throat, claw, clinch, clench, make sure of, catch at, jump at, make a grab at, snap at, snatch at, reach, make a long arm, stretch forth one's hand, take from, take away from, disseize, deduct, retrench, dispossess, ease one of, snatch from one's grasp, tear from, tear away from, wrench from, wrest from, wring from, extort, deprive of, bereave, disinherit, cut off with a shilling, oust, divest, levy, distrain, confiscate, sequester, sequestrate, accroach, usurp, despoil, strip, fleece, shear, displume, impoverish, eat out of house and home, drain, drain to the dregs, gut, dry, exhaust, swallow up, absorb, draw off, suck the blood of, suck like a leech, retake, resume, recover.

Insolence

VB be insolent, bluster, vapor, swagger, swell, give oneself airs, snap one's fingers, kick up a dust, swear, rap out oaths, roister, arrogate, assume, presume, make bold, make free, take a liberty, give an inch and take an ell, domineer, bully, dictate, hector, lord it over, traiter de haut en bas, regarder de haut en bas, exact, snub, huff, beard, fly in the face of, put to the blush, bear down, beat down, browbeat, intimidate, trample down, tread down, trample under foot, dragoon, ride roughshod over, out face, outlook, outstare, outbrazen, outbrave, stare out of countenance, brazen out, lay down the law, teach one's grandmother to suck eggs, assume a lofty bearing, talk big, look big, put on big looks, act the grand seigneur, mount the high horse, ride the high horse, toss the head, carry, with a high hand, tempt Providence, want snuffing.

Dueness

VB be due, to, be the due, of, have right to, have title to, have claim to, be entitled to, have a claim upon, belong to, deserve, merit, be worthy of, richly deserve, demand, claim, call upon for, come upon for, appeal to for, revendicate, reclaim, exact, insist on, insist upon, challenge, take one's stand, make a point of, require, lay claim to, assert, assume, arrogate, make good, substantiate, vindicate a claim, vindicate a right, fit for, qualify for, make out a case, give a right, confer a right, entitle, authorize, sanctify, legalize, ordain, prescribe, allot, give every one his due, pay one's dues, have one's due, have one's rights, use a right, assert, enforce, put in force, lay under contribution.

Belief

VB believe, credit, give faith to, give credit to, credence to, see, realize, assume, receive, set down for, take for, have it, take it, consider, esteem, presume, count upon, depend upon, calculate upon, pin one's faith upon, reckon upon, lean upon, build upon, rely upon, rest upon, lay one's account for, make sure of, make oneself easy about, on that score, take on trust, take on credit, take for granted, take for gospel, allow some weight to, attach some weight to, know, know for certain, have know, make no doubt, doubt not, be, rest assured, persuade oneself, assure oneself, satisfy oneself, make up one's mind, give one credit for, confide in, believe in, put one's trust in, place in, repose in, implicit confidence in, take one's word for, at one's word, place reliance on, rely upon, swear by, regard to, think, hold, take, take it, opine, be of opinion, conceive, trow, ween, fancy, apprehend, have it, hold a belief, possess, entertain a belief, adopt a belief, imbibe a belief, embrace a belief, get hold of a belief, hazard, foster, nurture a belief, cherish a belief, have an opinion, hold an opinion, possess, entertain an opinion, adopt an opinion, imbibe an opinion, embrace an opinion, get hold of an opinion, hazard an opinion, foster an opinion, nurture an opinion, cherish an opinion, view as, consider as, take as, hold as, conceive as, regard as, esteem as, deem as, look upon as, account as, set down as, surmise, get it into one's head, take it into one's head, come round to an opinion, swallow, cause to be believed, satisfy, persuade, have the ear of, gain the confidence of, assure, convince, convict, convert, wean, bring round, bring over, win over, indoctrinate, cram down the throat, produce conviction, carry conviction, bring home to, drive home to, go down, find credence, pass current, be received, be current, possess, take hold of, take possession of the mind.

Supposition

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.

Falsehood

VB be false, be a liar, speak falsely, tell a lie, lie, fib, lie like a trooper, swear false, forswear, perjure oneself, bear false witness, misstate, misquote, miscite, misreport, misrepresent, belie, falsify, pervert, distort, put a false construction upon (misinterpret), prevaricate, equivocate, quibble, palter, palter to the understanding, repondre en Normand, trim, shuffle, fence, mince the truth, beat about the bush, blow hot and cold, play fast and loose, garble, gloss over, disguise, give a color to, give a gloss, put a gloss, put false coloring upon, color, varnish, cook, dress up, embroider, varnish right and puzzle wrong, exaggerate, blague, invent, fabricate, trump up, get up, force, fake, hatch, concoct, romance, cry 'wolf!', dissemble, dissimulate, feign, assume, put on, pretend, make believe, play possum, play false, play a double game, coquet, act a part, play a part, affect, simulate, pass off for, counterfeit, sham, make a show of, malinger, say the grapes are sour, cant, play the hypocrite, sham Abraham, faire pattes de velours, put on the mask, clean the outside of the platter, lie like a conjuror, hand out false colors, hold out false colors, sail under false colors, commend the poisoned chalice to the lips, ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces, deceive.