Discussion Groups / British English / June 2005

"roccov" <roccov@wildmail.com> wrote...

Here's Bill Bryson on assume/presume in _Troublesome Words_ (2001
revised edition):
<<
The two words are often so close in meaning as to be indistinguishable,
but in some contexts they do allow a fine distinction to be made.
_Assume_, in the sense of 'to suppose', normally means to put forth a
realistic hypothesis, something that can be taken as probable ('I assume
we will arrive by midnight').  _Presume_ has more of an air of sticking
one's neck out, of making an assertion that may be contentious ('I
presume we have met before?').  But in most instances the two words can
be used interchangeably.>>

And here's the late Larry (R. L.) Trask in _Mind the Gaffe_ (also in
Penguin, 2001):
<<
Both of these [words] mean 'suppose', and their meanings often overlap.
But there is a subtle distinction.  To _assume_ something is to take it
for granted as the basis of a discussion or an argument, without
offering any evidence for it.  This may be done purely in order to
explore the consequences of the assumption.  To _presume_ something is
to suppose it is so because we have no good reason to suppose otherwise.
Of course, _presume_ alone has a second sense of 'be overly bold', 'take
something upon oneself without permission', as in 'We are presuming upon
his hospitality.'>>

Both of these commentators therefore seem to support your comment that
"presume" is often the more tentative.

Matti