conjecture 1 of 2

noun

kən-ˈjek-chər How to pronounce conjecture (audio)
Definition of conjecturenext
as in guess
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence the many conjectures about the true identity of Jack the Ripper

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conjecture

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to estimate
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement he conjectured that the theater could seat 1000 people more or less

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to guess
to form an opinion from little or no evidence you're only conjecturing that he was the culprit

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conjecture
Noun
The lonely runner conjecture predicts that, at some point, a runner will be maximally distant from all the other runners—the saddest, loneliest phase of the race. — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026 Could Kleist’s conjecture provide a key to their seeming vacancy, their resignation, their helplessness, suggesting that in their benighted condition lies spiritual perfection? — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
To be more precise, Erdős conjectured that the number of unit distances would be n^(1+o(1)). — ArsTechnica, 1 June 2026 Suspicion fell on Shiite families, though many dismissed these conjectures; in Ain el-Mreisseh, people know their neighbors. — Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for conjecture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conjecture
  1. guess
  2. estimate
  3. assume
  4. theory
  5. figure
  6. suppose
  7. calculate
  8. suspect
Noun
  • Where nothing can, longer thinking mostly buys you longer, more confident guesses.
    — Dhyey Mavani, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • What that means in practical terms going forward is anyone’s guess.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of guess
Verb
  • Its price is estimated between £35,000-55,000 ($46,000-72,500).
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The University of Iowa in March estimated by the end of 2026 there will be 21,700 new cancer diagnoses in the state and 6,400 new cancer deaths.
    — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of estimate
Verb
  • The North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and assumed the investigation, police said.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • If RatHat does make it onto a device, do not assume deleting the app solves the problem.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of assume
Noun
  • Some universities have a long standing tradition of continually testing students’ ability to explain and rationalise their theories.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The defense said the government’s theory is unsupported and urged the judge to dismiss the charges.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of theory
Verb
  • The screening’s reception was so strong that nearly every major player entered the fray, driving the bidding to figures the indie distributor simply couldn’t turn down.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • French productions and talent still often figure highly in the awards season winning prizes outside of the international feature category.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of figure
Verb
  • Hence, any thought experiment that presupposes an AGI often supposes an ASI.
    — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Now suppose the group of 300 proposes its own three-person slate.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppose
Verb
  • The group compared water bills in 2025 to 2015, calculating the annual amount for a typical household using 60,000 gallons of water indoors, or about 50 gallons per person per day.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Integral members of American society, whose absence contributes to financial and psychological damage to other Americans—typically children—in ways yet to be calculated.
    — Daniel Peña, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of calculate
Verb
  • The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after passengers stormed the cockpit and wrenched back controlfrom the attacker, who Israeli officials suspect was trying to crash the plane.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Mathematicians strongly suspect that there is a genuinely knotty loop that also has a Jones polynomial 1.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of suspect

Browse Nearby Words

conjectural
conjecture
conjectured
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Cite this Entry

“Conjecture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conjecture. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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