1
as in hypothesis
an idea that is the starting point for making a case or conducting an investigation my supposition is that this grape variety, which flourishes in southern France, should do equally well here, given the similar climate

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2
as in guess
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence it's pure supposition on your part that there's something illegal going on next door

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3

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 supposition Yet as Gee points out, to date, there are still only suppositions, rather than conclusive evidence about why hominins made the transition to a bipedal lifestyle. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 Although Matty is, sadly, right about a lot of her suppositions — including her insistence that Ellie had lied about being on the wagon when the toddler Alfie burned himself — the tough love is, honestly, tough to take. Noel Murray, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2025 Xi had, of course, preferred the Russian offensive to succeed smoothly and effectively, but even after the Ukrainian defenders made a mockery of that supposition, Xi seems to believe that Putin’s military problems will in the long run work to China’s advantage. Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2022 In a new interview with PEOPLE about her new memoir, This Far, Holker reacted to suppositions about the relationship between Boss and DeGeneres, after the TV personality joined the comedy icon's Ellen DeGeneres Show daytime series as its resident DJ in 2014. EW.com, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for supposition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supposition
Noun
  • This hypothesis, formulated by the mineralogist Robert Hazen and the astrobiologist Michael Wong of the Carnegie Institution in Washington, DC, along with a team of others, has provoked intense debate.
    Philip Ball, Wired News, 8 June 2025
  • The best evidence for this hypothesis comes from micro-caps.
    Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Noun
  • My guess is that, after all these years, the horizontal pipe had filled with water, rendering the vent useless.
    Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2025
  • Figuring out the right price for goods has long been a moving target, that used to come down to best guesses and luck trying to perfectly match supply with demand.
    Kathleen Walch, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Noun
  • Courts are also increasingly scrutinizing environmental claims—down to the assumptions behind individual offsets.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Mass incarceration, which swept the country in the late twentieth century, rested on the assumption that a person spoiling for a fight with another person was weighing costs: that the difference between ten years and twenty-five would matter.
    Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • But the people interviewed for this story float several theories.
    Tyler Hicks, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
  • As fear grew in 2023 over the failure to reach a deal on raising the debt ceiling, the White House was said to be considering an option of last resort: an untested legal theory that involves invoking the 14th Amendment.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • If the conjectures are true, then all sorts of equations beyond elliptic curves will be similarly tethered to objects in their mirror realm.
    Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 2 June 2025
  • Many observers were perplexed that an eighty-two-year-old man with virtually unlimited access to medical care—and about whose health there has been virtually unlimited conjecture—could have gone undiagnosed until the cancer threatened his life.
    Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • The significant investment in Anthropic validates a new thesis: Building safe and aligned AI is not just ethical but a compelling investment opportunity.
    Elena Volotovskaya, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • In addition to the 27 films screening at CIFF, the fest will feature a section titled the Student Film Corner, a place for college students in Croatia and neighboring countries to screen their thesis films.
    Addie Morfoot, Variety, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Backers of incorporation frame it as a win-win proposition.
    Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025
  • Betting against Musk has become a high-risk proposition, bordering on financial self-destruction.
    Joel Shulman, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Supposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supposition. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.

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