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conjecture

2 ENTRIES FOUND:

1con·jec·ture

noun \kən-ˈjek-chər\

Definition of CONJECTURE

1
obsolete a : interpretation of omens b : supposition
2
a : inference from defective or presumptive evidence b : a conclusion deduced by surmise or guesswork c : a proposition (as in mathematics) before it has been proved or disproved

Examples of CONJECTURE

  1. The biography includes conjectures about the writer's earliest ambitions.
  2. a conjecture about the extent of the injury
  3. Most of the book is conjecture, not fact.
  4. Whether Columbus brought syphilis to the New World—or to the Old World—has been the subject of conjecture for at least 500 years. —Carl Zimmer, Science, 11 May 2001

Origin of CONJECTURE

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin conjectura, from conjectus, past participle of conicere, literally, to throw together, from com- + jacere to throw — more at jet
First Known Use: 14th century

Other Logic Terms

a posteriori, connotation, corollary, inference, mutually exclusive, paradox, postulate, syllogism

Rhymes with CONJECTURE

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