Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Based on a presumption; presumed.
- adjective Providing a reasonable basis for belief or acceptance.
- adjective Usage Problem Presumptuous.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Based on presumption or probability; probable; grounded on probable evidence; proving circumstantially, not directly.
- Unreasonably confident; presumptuous; arrogant.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Based on presumption or probability; grounded on probable evidence; probable.
- adjective rare Presumptuous; arrogant.
- adjective (Law) that which is derived from circumstances which necessarily or usually attend a fact, as distinct from direct evidence or positive proof; indirect or circumstantial evidence. “
Presumptive evidence of felony should be cautiously admitted.” Blackstone. The distinction, however, between direct and presumptive (or circumstantial) evidence is now generally abandoned; all evidence being now more or less direct and more or less presumptive. - adjective See Heir presumptive, under
Heir .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Based on
presumption ,probability ,conjecture ,hypothesis orbelief - adjective making presumptions; behaving as one who
presumes , whoassumes that which they perhaps shouldn't.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective affording reasonable grounds for belief or acceptance
- adjective having a reasonable basis for belief or acceptance
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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As you said, there was what we called a presumptive positive test on green onions about a week ago.
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If false, it suggests that the Democratic nominee-presumptive is audacious about more than just hope.
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Lieberman was traveling in presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's bus, the "Straight Talk Express," when it collided with a van at the intersection of 54th Street and Biscayne Boulevard.
Eschaton 2008
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If false, it suggests that the Democratic nominee-presumptive is audacious about more than just hope.
Stromata Blog: 2008
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Are we supposed to be more generously disposed to her than, say, to Kyle Sampson, her partner in presumptive illegality (whether or not, technically, "criminal misconduct"), because she's just a "girl," whereas he's a "man"?
Balkinization 2007
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Are we supposed to be more generously disposed to her than, say, to Kyle Sampson, her partner in presumptive illegality (whether or not, technically, "criminal misconduct"), because she's just a "girl," whereas he's a "man"?
Balkinization 2007
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Norquist dropped by The Times 'Washington bureau today and, as part of his negative critique of Obama's liberal stances on economic issues and other matters, he termed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee "John Kerry with a tan."
Conservative Activist Grover Norquist: Obama Is "Kerry With A Tan" 2009
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Are we supposed to be more generously disposed to her than, say, to Kyle Sampson, her partner in presumptive illegality (whether or not, technically, "criminal misconduct"), because she's just a "girl," whereas he's a "man"?
Balkinization 2007
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Are we supposed to be more generously disposed to her than, say, to Kyle Sampson, her partner in presumptive illegality (whether or not, technically, "criminal misconduct"), because she's just a "girl," whereas he's a "man"?
Balkinization 2007
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Are we supposed to be more generously disposed to her than, say, to Kyle Sampson, her partner in presumptive illegality (whether or not, technically, "criminal misconduct"), because she's just a "girl," whereas he's a "man"?
Balkinization 2007
82times commented on the word presumptive
I was surprised to see this on CNN's election page attached to the image of McCain. Not that McCain's status as presumptive candidate is surprising, but that they chose this word. See also an annotated version of same image.
I don't see TV--are they using "presumptive" on the news? I would like that.
March 6, 2008