conjecture


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Related to conjecture: Hodge conjecture

con·jec·ture

 (kən-jĕk′chər)
n.
1. Opinion or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence; guesswork.
2. An opinion or conclusion based on guesswork: The commentators made various conjectures about the outcome of the next election.
v. con·jec·tured, con·jec·tur·ing, con·jec·tures
v.tr.
To judge or conclude by conjecture; guess: "From the comparative silence below ... I conjectured that Mr Rochester was now at liberty" (Charlotte Brontë).
v.intr.
To make a conjecture.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin coniectūra, from coniectus, past participle of conicere, to infer : com-, com- + iacere, to throw; see yē- in Indo-European roots.]

con·jec′tur·a·ble adj.
con·jec′tur·al adj.
con·jec′tur·al·ly adv.
con·jec′tur·er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

conjecture

(kənˈdʒɛktʃə)
n
1. the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence; guess
2. the inference or conclusion so formed
3. (Alternative Belief Systems) obsolete interpretation of occult signs
vb
to infer or arrive at (an opinion, conclusion, etc) from incomplete evidence
[C14: from Latin conjectūra an assembling of facts, from conjicere to throw together, from jacere to throw]
conˈjecturable adj
conˈjecturably adv
conˈjecturer n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•jec•ture

(kənˈdʒɛk tʃər)

n., v. -tured, -tur•ing. n.
1. the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof.
2. an opinion or theory so formed or expressed; speculation; surmise.
3. Obs. the interpretation of omens.
v.t.
4. to conclude or suppose from evidence insufficient to ensure reliability.
v.i.
5. to form conjectures.
[1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French) < Latin conjectūra inferring, reasoning =conject(us) past participle of conjicere to throw together, form a conclusion (con- con- + -jicere, comb. form of jacere to throw) + -ūra -ure]
con•jec′tur•a•ble, adj.
syn: See guess.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

conjecture

- First meant "the interpretation of omens or signs" or "divination," and it literally means "to throw together," that is, to produce a theory by putting together a number of facts.
See also related terms for signs.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

conjecture


Past participle: conjectured
Gerund: conjecturing

Imperative
conjecture
conjecture
Present
I conjecture
you conjecture
he/she/it conjectures
we conjecture
you conjecture
they conjecture
Preterite
I conjectured
you conjectured
he/she/it conjectured
we conjectured
you conjectured
they conjectured
Present Continuous
I am conjecturing
you are conjecturing
he/she/it is conjecturing
we are conjecturing
you are conjecturing
they are conjecturing
Present Perfect
I have conjectured
you have conjectured
he/she/it has conjectured
we have conjectured
you have conjectured
they have conjectured
Past Continuous
I was conjecturing
you were conjecturing
he/she/it was conjecturing
we were conjecturing
you were conjecturing
they were conjecturing
Past Perfect
I had conjectured
you had conjectured
he/she/it had conjectured
we had conjectured
you had conjectured
they had conjectured
Future
I will conjecture
you will conjecture
he/she/it will conjecture
we will conjecture
you will conjecture
they will conjecture
Future Perfect
I will have conjectured
you will have conjectured
he/she/it will have conjectured
we will have conjectured
you will have conjectured
they will have conjectured
Future Continuous
I will be conjecturing
you will be conjecturing
he/she/it will be conjecturing
we will be conjecturing
you will be conjecturing
they will be conjecturing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been conjecturing
you have been conjecturing
he/she/it has been conjecturing
we have been conjecturing
you have been conjecturing
they have been conjecturing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been conjecturing
you will have been conjecturing
he/she/it will have been conjecturing
we will have been conjecturing
you will have been conjecturing
they will have been conjecturing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been conjecturing
you had been conjecturing
he/she/it had been conjecturing
we had been conjecturing
you had been conjecturing
they had been conjecturing
Conditional
I would conjecture
you would conjecture
he/she/it would conjecture
we would conjecture
you would conjecture
they would conjecture
Past Conditional
I would have conjectured
you would have conjectured
he/she/it would have conjectured
we would have conjectured
you would have conjectured
they would have conjectured
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.conjecture - a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence); "speculations about the outcome of the election"; "he dismissed it as mere conjecture"
hypothesis, theory, possibility - a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices"
2.conjecture - a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidenceconjecture - a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
opinion, view - a message expressing a belief about something; the expression of a belief that is held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof; "his opinions appeared frequently on the editorial page"
divination - successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck
3.conjecture - reasoning that involves the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence
abstract thought, logical thinking, reasoning - thinking that is coherent and logical
theorisation, theorization - the production or use of theories
supposal, supposition - the cognitive process of supposing
Verb1.conjecture - to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds; "Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps"
reconstruct, retrace, construct - reassemble mentally; "reconstruct the events of 20 years ago"
anticipate, expect - regard something as probable or likely; "The meteorologists are expecting rain for tomorrow"
formulate, explicate, develop - elaborate, as of theories and hypotheses; "Could you develop the ideas in your thesis"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

conjecture

noun
1. guess, theory, fancy, notion, speculation, assumption, hypothesis, inference, presumption, surmise, theorizing, guesswork, supposition, shot in the dark, guesstimate (informal) Your assertion is merely a conjecture, not a fact.
verb
1. guess, speculate, surmise, theorize, suppose, imagine, assume, fancy, infer, hypothesize This may or may not be true; we are all conjecturing here.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

conjecture

noun
1. Abstract reasoning:
2. A judgment, estimate, or opinion arrived at by guessing:
verb
To draw an inference on the basis of inconclusive evidence or insufficient information:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَخْمين، ظَن، حَدَسِيَّهيُخَمِّن، يَظُن، يَحْزِر
dohaddomněnkadomýšlet seodhadovat
formodeformodninggættegætteri
arvausarveluotaksuma
sejtés
ágiskungiska á
numanomasnumanymasnumanytispėjamasspėjimas
minētpieņemtpieņēmumsvarbūtība
formodninggjetninggjettegjettinggjettverk
domyslieť si

conjecture

[kənˈdʒektʃəʳ]
A. N it's only conjectureson conjeturas, nada más
B. VTconjeturar
C. VIconjeturar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

conjecture

[kənˈdʒɛktʃər]
nconjecture f
vtconjecturer
viconjecturer
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

conjecture

vtvermuten, mutmaßen (geh)
viVermutungen or Mutmaßungen anstellen, mutmaßen (geh); it was just as scientists had conjecturedes verhielt sich geradeso, wie es die Wissenschaftler gemutmaßt or vermutet hatten
nVermutung f, → Mutmaßung f (geh); what will come next is a matter of or for conjecturewas folgt, das kann man nur vermuten or das bleibt unserer Vermutung überlassen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

conjecture

[kənˈdʒɛktʃəʳ]
1. ncongettura
2. vt & vi (frm) → congetturare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

conjecture

(kənˈdʒektʃə) noun
(an) opinion formed on slight evidence; a guess. He made several conjectures about where his son might be.
verb
to guess.
conˈjectural adjective
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
God is a conjecture: but I do not wish your conjecturing to reach beyond your creating will.
In the stress of privation and the need of effort I might sometimes forget the somber secret ever baffling the conjecture that it compels.
The author's conjecture on the name of the Red Sea.
Why he had done it, what could have provoked him to such a breach of hospitality, and so suddenly turned all his partial regard for their daughter into actual ill will, was a matter which they were at least as far from divining as Catherine herself; but it did not oppress them by any means so long; and, after a due course of useless conjecture, that "it was a strange business, and that he must be a very strange man," grew enough for all their indignation and wonder; though Sarah indeed still indulged in the sweets of incomprehensibility, exclaiming and conjecturing with youthful ardour.
I was right in my conjecture; for Mary instantly entering the Room, informed us that a young Gentleman and his Servant were at the door, who had lossed their way, were very cold and begged leave to warm themselves by our fire.
Lady Susan, in a letter to her brother-in-law, has declared her intention of visiting us almost immediately; and as such a visit is in all probability merely an affair of convenience, it is impossible to conjecture its length.
And how poor and shadowy was the inferred conjecture in comparison with the reality which I now beheld!
What passes in those remote depths-- what beings live, or can live, twelve or fifteen miles beneath the surface of the waters--what is the organisation of these animals, we can scarcely conjecture. However, the solution of the problem submitted to me may modify the form of the dilemma.
I am lost in conjecture. Thedora, however, says that Aksinia, her sister-in-law (who sometimes comes to see her), is acquainted with a laundress named Nastasia, and that this woman has a cousin in the position of watchman to a department of which a certain friend of Anna Thedorovna's nephew forms one of the staff.
There are always so many conjectures as to the issue of any event that however it may end there will always be people to say: "I said then that it would be so," quite forgetting that amid their innumerable conjectures many were to quite the contrary effect.
"Conjectureaye, sometimes one conjectures right, and sometimes one conjectures wrong.
In so doing, we do not only consult our own dignity and ease, but the good and advantage of the reader: for besides that by these means we prevent him from throwing away his time, in reading without either pleasure or emolument, we give him, at all such seasons, an opportunity of employing that wonderful sagacity, of which he is master, by filling up these vacant spaces of time with his own conjectures; for which purpose we have taken care to qualify him in the preceding pages.