presumed

USAGE SUMMARY

'presumed' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that something is assumed or believed to be true without proof. For example, "It is presumed that the suspect had left town by the time officers arrived."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Back home, his wife, Mary, given the news that Tom was missing, presumed wounded, refused to accept the inevitable.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

But when the prime minister's extremism task force reported in December 2013, it did not include any moves towards pre-broadcast censorship and the subject was presumed to have been dropped.

The Guardian

Far-right Republicans have called for an end to such agreements, with government shutdown the presumed result, in protest at President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration and other policies.

The Guardian

Predatory models are already emerging, with established presses offering open-access monographs alongside the print version for an all-inclusive £10,000 charge to offset a presumed (but not proved) fall in revenue: out of the reach for most individual academics, or many institutions.

The Guardian

So we are only a month away from a general election in which Johnson's electoral reach will be tested as never before, and perhaps from a Conservative leadership contest in which his presumed popularity would be a potent factor.

The Guardian - Opinion

Related: Ill-disciplined rabble in anti-Farage protest | Letters Next, I start receiving hostile texts from activists: the story in the Guardian is presumed to have been written by me, the only journalist on the scene.

The Guardian

His opponent, José María Olazábal, who could still halve the hole with a birdie putt of his own, was left waiting on the green while the Americans celebrated their presumed victory.

The Guardian - Sport

Farage has reacted to the criticism by hitting back at the "one person in Ukip" opposed to him – presumed to be the party's only MP Douglas Carswell.

The Guardian

With others unaccounted for, two people have been named as missing, presumed to be in the bar: John McGarrigle, 59, a local poet, and Mark O'Prey, a window cleaner.

The Guardian

Pascal and producer Scott Rudin hwere forced to apologise after it emerged they joked about Barack Obama's race and presumed taste in movies in an email conversation, while five of Sony's upcoming films have been released onto free piracy sites before they have taken a single dollar at the box office.

The Guardian - Film

Those charged with, for example, murder, are presumed not entitled to bail.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "presumed" to indicate an assumption based on reasonable grounds, but acknowledge that it might not be correct. This adds a layer of precision to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "presumed" when you have concrete evidence. It's meant for situations where proof is lacking, and using it otherwise can undermine the strength of your argument.

Linguistic Context

The word "presumed" typically functions as a past participle adjective. It modifies a noun, indicating that something is accepted or believed to be the case, even without definitive proof. Ludwig AI confirms this usage with numerous examples of "presumed" modifying nouns.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

77%

Formal & Business

12%

Science

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "presumed" is a versatile term used to indicate something accepted as true based on reasonable grounds but without conclusive proof. As evidenced by Ludwig AI, it's frequently encountered in "News & Media" and "Formal & Business" contexts, suggesting a blend of neutral and professional registers. The phrase functions as a past participle adjective, modifying nouns to express an assumed state. While alternatives like "assumed" and "supposed" exist, "presumed" often carries a nuance of stronger evidentiary support. When using "presumed", avoid overstating certainty and be mindful of the context to ensure accurate and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

assumed

Indicates taking something for granted without proof, similar to "presumed" but often with less formal implication.

supposed

Suggests a belief based on hearsay or general opinion, carrying a slightly weaker connotation than "presumed".

inferred

Implies a conclusion reached through reasoning and evidence, rather than simple assumption.

taken for granted

Highlights the lack of questioning or examination of a belief, unlike "presumed" which might acknowledge the possibility of error.

hypothesized

Suggests a more formal and scientific assumption, used as a basis for further investigation.

speculated

Indicates a conjecture based on incomplete information, often involving uncertainty.

deemed

Implies a formal judgment or opinion, carrying more weight than a simple presumption.

alleged

Used to describe something claimed but not yet proven, typically in legal or journalistic contexts.

conjectured

Similar to speculated, but often implies a more thoughtful or reasoned guess.

understood

Implies a general agreement or acceptance of a fact, potentially without explicit confirmation.

FAQs

How to use "presumed" in a sentence?

You can use "presumed" to describe something that is believed to be true based on some evidence, but without absolute certainty. For example, "The missing hiker is "presumed dead" after days without contact".

What can I say instead of "presumed"?

You can use alternatives like "assumed", "supposed", or "inferred" depending on the context and the degree of certainty.

Which is correct, "presumed" or "assumed"?

Both "presumed" and "assumed" can be correct, but "presumed" often implies a stronger basis for the belief than "assumed". "Presumed" suggests some supporting evidence, while "assumed" can be based on less tangible reasons.

What's the difference between "presumed" and "alleged"?

"Presumed" indicates a belief based on some evidence or probability, while "alleged" refers to something that has been claimed but not proven, often in a legal or formal context.