conjecture

/kən'dʤektʃə/
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conjecture

The detective's conjecture about the missing key was based on a single footprint.

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.
conjecture

The detective's conjecture about the missing key was based on a single footprint.

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

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