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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. v. To assume to be true or real for the sake of argument or explanation: Suppose we win the lottery.
  2. v. To believe, especially on uncertain or tentative grounds: Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps.
  3. v. To consider to be probable or likely: I suppose it will rain.
  4. v. To imply as an antecedent condition; presuppose: "Patience must suppose pain” ( Samuel Johnson).
  5. v. To consider as a suggestion: Suppose we dine together.
  6. v. To imagine; conjecture.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. To infer hypothetically; conceive a state of things, and dwell upon the idea (at least for a moment) with an inclination to believe it true, due to the agreement of its consequences with observed fact, but not free from doubt.
  2. To make a hypothesis; formulate a proposition without reference to its being true or false, with a view of tracing out its consequences. To suppose in this sense is not to imagine merely, since it is an act of abstract thought, and many things can be supposed (as the imaginary points of the geometricians) which cannot be imagined; indeed, anything can be supposed to which we can attach a definite meaning—that is, which we can imagine in every feature to become a matter of practical interest—and which involves no contradiction. Moreover, to suppose is to set up a proposition in order to trace its consequences, while imagining involves no such ulterior purpose.
  3. To assume as true without reflection; presume; opine; believe.
  4. To imply; involve as a further proposition or consequence; proceed from, as from a hypothesis.
  5. To put, as one thing by fraud in the place of another. Synonyms Expect, Suppose (see expect, v. t.), conclude, judge, apprehend.
  6. To make or form a supposition; think; imagine.
  7. n. Supposition; presumption; conjecture; opinion.

Wiktionary

  1. v. To take for granted; to conclude, with less than absolute supporting data; to believe.
  2. v. To theorize or hypothesize.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. v. To represent to one's self, or state to another, not as true or real, but as if so, and with a view to some consequence or application which the reality would involve or admit of; to imagine or admit to exist, for the sake of argument or illustration; to assume to be true; as, let us suppose the earth to be the center of the system, what would be the result?
  2. v. To imagine; to believe; to receive as true.
  3. v. To require to exist or to be true; to imply by the laws of thought or of nature.
  4. v. To put by fraud in the place of another.
  5. v. To make supposition; to think; to be of opinion.
  6. n. Supposition.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. require as a necessary antecedent or precondition
  2. v. express a supposition
  3. v. to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
  4. v. take for granted or as a given; suppose beforehand
  5. v. expect, believe, or suppose

Etymologies

  1. Middle English supposen, from Old French supposer, alteration (influenced by poser, to place) of Medieval Latin suppōnere, from Latin, to put under : sub-, sub- + pōnere, to place; see apo- in Indo-European roots.

Examples

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Lists

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Comments

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  • kewpid This is a nice sentence qualifier so you can backtrack later :) Nov 22, 2007

  • mollusque No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is suppose that they are like himself.
    --John Steinbeck, 1961, The Winter of Our Discontent Nov 22, 2007

‘suppose’ has been looked up 1599 times, added to 10 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 11.