[syn: speculate, theorize, theorise, conjecture, hypothesize, hypothesise, hypothecate, suppose]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Conjecture \Con*jec"ture\ (; 135?), n. [L. conjectura, fr.
conjicere, conjectum, to throw together, infer, conjecture;
con- + jacere to throw: cf. F. conjecturer. See Jet a
shooting forth.]
An opinion, or judgment, formed on defective or presumptive
evidence; probable inference; surmise; guess; suspicion.
[1913 Webster]
He [Herodotus] would thus have corrected his first
loose conjecture by a real study of nature. --Whewell.
[1913 Webster]
Conjectures, fancies, built on nothing firm. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Conjecture \Con*jec"ture\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Conjectured; p.
pr. & vb. n. Conjecturing.] [Cf. F. conjecturer. Cf.
Conject.]
To arrive at by conjecture; to infer on slight evidence; to
surmise; to guess; to form, at random, opinions concerning.
[1913 Webster]
Human reason can then, at the best, but conjecture what
will be. --South.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Conjecture \Con*jec"ture\, v. i.
To make conjectures; to surmise; to guess; to infer; to form
an opinion; to imagine.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
conjecture
n 1: 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" [syn: speculation,
conjecture]
2: a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
[syn: guess, conjecture, supposition, surmise,
surmisal, speculation, hypothesis]
3: reasoning that involves the formation of conclusions from
incomplete evidence
v 1: to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds;
"Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps"
[syn: speculate, theorize, theorise, conjecture,
hypothesize, hypothesise, hypothecate, suppose]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
56 Moby Thesaurus words for "conjecture":
assume, assumption, axiom, believe, blind guess, bold conjecture,
conceive, conclude, deem, estimate, expect, fancy, feel, gather,
give a guess, glean, guess, guesswork, hazard a conjecture, hunch,
hypothesis, imagine, infer, inference, judge, perhaps, postulate,
postulation, postulatum, premise, presume, presumption,
presupposal, presupposition, pretend, proposition, risk assuming,
rough guess, set of postulates, shot, speculation, stab, supposal,
suppose, supposing, supposition, surmise, suspect,
take for granted, tentatively suggest, thesis, think,
unverified supposition, venture a guess, wild guess,
working hypothesis