Definition

1. Noun:

   • Reasoning based on incomplete evidence: The process of forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion without complete proof or information.
   • An opinion or conclusion formed this way: A statement or idea that is guessed or inferred rather than known for certain.
   • A hypothesis formed by speculation: A tentative explanation or theory, often with little hard evidence to support it.

2. Verb:

   • To form an opinion or theory on incomplete evidence: To guess, suppose, or infer something based on what is known, even though the information is insufficient for certainty.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • His conclusion was pure conjecture, as he had no data to back it up.
  • The article was filled with conjecture about the company's future plans.
  • We can only make conjectures about what life might be like on other planets.

• Verb:

  • We can only conjecture about the author's true intentions.
  • Scientists conjectured that the fossil belonged to a previously unknown species.
  • It is idle to conjecture what might have happened if history had taken a different course.

Advanced Usage

• "A matter of conjecture": Something that is uncertain and can only be guessed at.

  • Whether the project will succeed is still a matter of conjecture.

• "To be mere/pure conjecture": To be nothing more than a guess, lacking any solid foundation.

  • The rumors about their relationship are mere conjecture.

Variants and Related Words

• Conjectural (adj): Based on or involving conjecture; speculative.
  • The timeline is highly conjectural and may change with new discoveries.

Synonyms

• Noun: Speculation, guess, supposition, hypothesis, inference, surmise.
• Verb: Speculate, guess, suppose, infer, surmise, hypothesize.

Related Phrases

• "To hazard a conjecture": To venture or put forward a guess.

  • I would hazard a conjecture that the meeting will be postponed.

• "Wild conjecture": A guess that is not based on any reasonable evidence; a baseless speculation.

  • The tabloid's story was dismissed as wild conjecture.

Related Idioms

• "It is idle conjecture": It is pointless or useless to guess.
  • Without the original documents, it is idle conjecture to discuss the treaty's terms.

Noun

1. reasoning that involves the formation of conclusions from incomplete evidence
2. a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
3. 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

Verb

1. to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
   • Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps