conjecture

noun con·jec·ture \ kən-ˈjek-chər \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: conjecture in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of conjecture

1 a : inference formed without proof or sufficient evidence

b : a conclusion deduced by surmise or guesswork

The criminal's motive remains a matter of conjecture.

c : a proposition (as in mathematics) before it has been proved or disproved

2 obsolete

a : interpretation of omens

b : supposition

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Examples of conjecture in a Sentence

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
… their voices rose in a chorus of conjecture and alarm, repeating the selfsame remark: "What is she going to do? I mean, is Betty going to faint?" —Edna O'Brien, New Yorker, 1 Jan. 1990
The reason why the French with superior man-power and American resources were doing so poorly was not beyond all conjecture. —Barbara W. Tuchman, The March of Folly, 1984
Peculiar features of early maps, which may have been nothing but a draftsman's whimsy, have inspired pages of vain conjecture. —Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1971
The biography includes conjectures about the writer's earliest ambitions.
a conjecture about the extent of the injury
Most of the book is conjecture, not fact.

Recent Examples of conjecture from the Web

Such gains are a matter of sheer conjecture at this point, and the demographic factors that tilted Iowa red in the last two cycles have not gone away.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Iowa Could Be 2018’s Bellwether for Democrats," 6 June 2018
In 1927 the mathematician Emil Artin proved that Hilbert’s conjecture is true.

— kevin hartnett, WIRED, "A Classical Math Problem Gets Pulled Into Self-Driving Cars," 26 May 2018
There was a lot of conjecture Kentucky’s Malik Monk couldn’t possibly last to No.

— rick bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Charlotte Hornets draft talk: Mitch Kupchak's history, who's out of reach, centers | Charlotte Observer," 25 May 2018
Easy-to-digest poems mesh best-guess conjecture, settled science and wry humor.

— susan faust, San Francisco Chronicle, "Roundup of new children’s books," 24 May 2018
That attack spurred conjecture the bomber was targeting minority communities on the east side of Interstate 35.

— wsj staff, WSJ, "A Bomber Carves Violent Path Across Austin," 20 Mar. 2018
As the presidents of South Korea and the United States prepare for summits with the previously reclusive Kim, there has been much conjecture about what exactly the North Korean leader is prepared to discuss.

— anna fifield, Washington Post, "North Korea says it will suspend nuclear and missile tests, shut down test site," 20 Apr. 2018
Whether any documents in Smrt’s possession could satisfy Hasselbacher’s curiosity is conjecture.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Judge suspects University of Louisville has been 'hiding the ball' with public records," 14 Apr. 2018
There’s conjecture that Miquela is a mix of animation and photographs, of a female human.

— emilia petrarca, The Cut, "Body Con Job," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conjecture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

conjecture Synonyms

Synonyms

guess, shot, supposition, surmise;

dead reckoning, guessing, guesswork, speculation;

hunch, intuition;

belief, faith;

Phrases

shot in the dark;

Other Logic Terms

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

conjecture

verb

Definition of conjecture

conjectured; conjecturing play \kən-ˈjek-chə-riŋ, -ˈjek-shriŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to arrive at or deduce by surmise or guesswork : guess

scientists conjecturing that a disease is caused by a defective gene

2 : to make conjectures as to

conjecture the meaning of a statement

intransitive verb

: to form conjectures

—

conjecturer

play \kən-ˈjek-chər-ər\ noun

See conjecture defined for English-language learners

Examples of conjecture in a Sentence

It is fashionable now to conjecture that the Big Bang was caused by a random quantum fluctuation in a vacuum devoid of space and time. —Martin Gardner, Skeptical Inquirer, November/December 1998
Despairing of assistance and protection from below (as they foolishly conjecture) they talk of capitulating and coming upon terms with the French and Indians … —George Washington 24 Apr. 1776, in The Papers of George Washington, 1984
… their traces left for future archaeologists to rediscover and perhaps to wonder or conjecture over. —Jane Jacobs, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, 1984
I am anxious to conjecture beforehand what may be expected from the sowing turneps [sic] in jaded ground, how much from the acre, & how large they will be? —Thomas Jefferson, letter, 29 Dec. 1794
Some have conjectured that the distant planet could sustain life.
We only conjecture about his motives.

Recent Examples of conjecture from the Web

Later, Einstein conjectured, with a highly mathematical theory called general relativity, that gravity also affects the rate of ticking of clocks: A clock in strong gravity ticks more slowly than one in weak gravity.

— alan lightman, New York Times, "Benedict Cumberbatch Meets Albert Einstein in Carlo Rovelli’s New Audiobook," 14 May 2018
The actuaries conjecture that the reason is that the healthiest members of each age group live the longest, and as the number of survivors shrinks, the wealth factor becomes less crucial.

— michael hiltzik, latimes.com, "More evidence that raising the Social Security retirement age is no problem for the rich, but tough on the poor," 25 Apr. 2018
Preservationists angrily reject the mayor’s figures, conjecturing a far lower cost to keep the bridge open just for pedestrians and bikes.

— New York Times, "In Erie, One City Block Is a Trek of Disrespect," 12 Mar. 2018
As colliders and detectors have failed to turn up the particles these theories conjecture, the models have been tweaked and ever-larger colliders and detectors have been put to work testing them.

— The Economist, "Lord of the ringsThe next super-collider should be built in China," 11 Jan. 2018
The result is a strange alchemy of imagined past, misunderstood present, and weirdly conjectured future.

— josephine livingstone, New Republic, "Dan Brown’s New Mystery: the Internet," 11 Oct. 2017
Cooing over the launch of Tabitha Simmons bridal, many a married guest conjectured bigamy if only to secure the heart-skipping satins, the blush mink slide, or the inky velvet Victorian-style bootie with grosgrain ribbons.

— Vogue, "Shoe city: Tabitha Simmons’s Stylish Set Step Into Her Moda Operandi Madison Presentation," 8 Sep. 2017
Despite the ongoing investigation, some media outlets and others have conjectured that Sheila was the victim of a 'probable suicide.'

— paula rogo, Essence.com, "Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam Death Ruled A Suicide," 27 July 2017
Thus Beyoncé, with a 26-inch (non-pregnant) waist and 40-inch hips, comes close to that scientific ideal at 0.65, the Daily Mail conjectured.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "Here’s what scientists say is the mathematically perfect female butt," 3 July 2017

Did You Know?

When the noun "conjecture" entered English in the 14th century, it referred to the act of interpreting signs or omens (as for making prognostications). That sense is now obsolete, but by the 16th century both the noun and verb "conjecture" had acquired the meanings of speculation and inference that we use today. "Conjecture" derived via Middle English and Middle French from the Latin verb conicere ("to throw together"), a combination of "com-" ("together") and "jacere" ("to throw").