Hypertext Webster Gateway: "assumption"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Assumption \As*sump"tion\ (?; 215), n. [OE. assumpcioun a taking
up into heaven, L. assumptio a taking, fr. assumere: cf. F.
assomption. See {Assume}.]
1. The act of assuming, or taking to or upon one's self; the
act of taking up or adopting.
The assumption of authority. --Whewell.
2. The act of taking for granted, or supposing a thing
without proof; supposition; unwarrantable claim.
This gives no sanction to the unwarrantable
assumption that the soul sleeps from the period of
death to the resurrection of the body. --Thodey.
That calm assumption of the virtues. --W. Black.
3. The thing supposed; a postulate, or proposition assumed; a
supposition.
Hold! says the Stoic; your assumption's wrong.
--Dryden.
4. (Logic) The minor or second proposition in a categorical
syllogism.
5. The taking of a person up into heaven. Hence: (Rom. Cath.
& Greek Churches) A festival in honor of the ascent of the
Virgin Mary into heaven.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
assumption
n 1: a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a
conclusion can be drawn; "on the assumption that he has
been injured we can infer that he will not to play"
[syn: {premise}, {premiss}]
2: a hypothesis that is taken for granted; "any society is
built upon certain assumptions" [syn: {supposition}, {supposal}]
3: the act of taking possession of or power over something;
"his assumption of office coincided with the trouble in
Cuba"; "the Nazi assumption of power in 1934"; "he
acquired all the company's assets for ten million dollars
and the assumption of the company's debts" [syn: {laying
claim}]
4: celebration of the Virgin Mary's being taken up into heaven
when her earthly life ended [syn: {Assumption}, {Assumption
of Mary}, {August 15}]
5: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right
to; "he despised them for their presumptuousness" [syn: {presumption},
{presumptuousness}, {effrontery}]
6: the act of assuming or taking for granted; "your assumption
that I would agree was unwarranted"
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