conjecture

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

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. Cf. adjective, eject, inject, project, reject, subject, object, trajectory.

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /kənˈdʒɛk.tʃə/
• (US) IPA: /kənˈdʒɛk.tʃɚ/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

conjecture (countable and uncountable; plural conjectures)

1. 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.

2. A supposition based upon incomplete evidence; a hypothesis.

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

3. (mathematics, philology) A statement likely to be true based on available evidence, but which has not been formally proven.
4. (obsolete) The interpretation of signs and omens.

[edit] Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:supposition

[edit] Related terms

• conject
• conjectural

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to conjecture (third-person singular simple present conjectures, present participle conjecturing, simple past and past participle conjectured)

1. (intransitive) To guess; to venture an unproven idea.

   I don't know if it is true; I'm just conjecturing here.

[edit] Translations

[edit] External links

• conjecture in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• conjecture in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911