1
Core meaning
A belief or assumption accepted as possible or true without conclusive proof.
Example
The claim rests on supposition rather than direct evidence.
supposition
/ˌsʌpəˈzɪʃən/ · sup-uh-ZISH-unnoun
A belief or assumption accepted as possible or true without conclusive proof.
Use supposition to express this relationship precisely: a belief or assumption accepted as possible or true without conclusive proof.
What supposition Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Common noun frame
Use this noun in a complete noun phrase, adding the complement that identifies what it refers to when needed.
Example
Later discoveries confirmed the archaeologist's original supposition.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact concept matters; a related term may describe its cause, evidence, or opposite instead.
Example
It is a plausible supposition, but it remains unproved.
Use supposition Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The claim rests on supposition rather than direct evidence.
Later discoveries confirmed the archaeologist's original supposition.
It is a plausible supposition, but it remains unproved.
Precision Matters
Supposition overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
supposition
vs.Means a belief or assumption accepted as possible or true without conclusive proof.
empirical
Means based on observation, measurement, or experience rather than theory alone.
supposition
vs.Means a belief or assumption accepted as possible or true without conclusive proof.
corroborate
Means confirm or support a statement with additional evidence.
supposition
vs.Means a belief or assumption accepted as possible or true without conclusive proof.
incontrovertible
Means impossible to deny or dispute because the evidence is decisive.
supposition
vs.Means a belief or assumption accepted as possible or true without conclusive proof.
conjecture
Means a tentative conclusion based on incomplete evidence.
Test supposition in Context
The date is an assumption that lacks conclusive proof.
1
Without records from the period, the proposed date remains a ___ rather than an established fact.