Meaning & use
presumable
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounformal
Likely to be true on the evidence available, even though it has not been proved.
Grammar: Goes before a noun: the presumable cause. It is less common than the adverb presumably.
Patterns
- the presumable cause
- a presumable outcome
The presumable cause of the power cut was a fallen tree.
Her presumable reason for leaving early was the heavy traffic.
It is presumable that the letter arrived too late to help.
Common combinations
- presumable cause
- The presumable cause of the fire was faulty wiring.
- presumable reason
- His presumable reason for refusing was lack of time.
- presumable result
- The presumable result is a slight rise in prices.
- quite presumable
- It is quite presumable that they already knew.
Synonyms and how they differ
- probable
- Probable is far more common and says an outcome is likely, whereas presumable stresses that you are assuming it.
- likely
- Likely is the everyday choice and works in more sentence patterns than presumable.
- assumed
- Assumed describes something taken for granted, while presumable says it is reasonable to take it as true.
- plausible
- Plausible means believable, not necessarily assumed, so it fits explanations rather than expected facts.
Opposites
Word family
- presumably adverb
- as one reasonably assumes
- presume verb
- to suppose something is true without proof
- presumption noun
- an assumption, or rude overconfidence
- presumptive adjective
- based on assumption, as in presumptive heir
Commonly confused: presumable or presumptuous?
presumable vs presumptuous
Presumptuous describes someone who acts with too much confidence, not something that is likely. A presumable cause is probable; a presumptuous person is rude.
Practice
Which sentence uses presumable correctly?
Choose one answer.
Presumable means likely to be true and goes before a noun like cause. The adverb presumably, not presumable, would fit the third option.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “presumable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.