conjecture

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds

   I conjecture that it's made with two parts sugar, but that's only based on taste.

2. 2
   noun

   A statement or an idea which is unproven, but is thought to be true; a guess.

   I explained it, but it is pure conjecture whether he understood, or not.

3. 3
   noun

   A supposition based upon incomplete evidence; a hypothesis.

   The physicist used his conjecture about subatomic particles to design an experiment.

4. 4
   verb

   To guess; to venture an unproven idea.

   I do not know if it is true; I am simply conjecturing here.

5. 5
   verb

   To infer on slight evidence; to guess at.

   February 22, 1685, Robert South, All Contingences under the Direction of God's Providence (sermon preached at Westminster Abbey)

6. 6
   noun

   reasoning that involves the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence

7. 7
   noun

   a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)

8. 8
   noun

   a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin coniectūra (“a guess”), from coniectus, perfect passive participle of cōniciō (“throw or cast together; guess”), from con- (“together”) + iaciō (“throw, hurl”); see jet. Compare adjective, eject, inject, project, reject, subject, object, trajectory, deject, abject, surjection, bijection, interject. Compare typologically Russian прики́дывать (prikídyvatʹ) (akin to кида́ть (kidátʹ)).