| suppose | 1. To represent to one's self, or state to another, not as true or real, but as if so, and with a view to some consequence or application which the reality would involve or admit of; to imagine or admit to exist, for the sake of argument or illustration; to assume to be true; as, let us suppose the earth to be the center of the system, what would be the result? "Suppose they take offence without a cause." (Shak) "When we have as great assurance that a thing is, as we could possibly, supposing it were, we ought not to make any doubt of its existence." (Tillotson) 2. To imagine; to believe; to receive as true. "How easy is a bush supposed a bear!" (Shak) "Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead." (2 Sam. Xiii. 32) 3. To require to exist or to be true; to imply by the laws of thought or of nature; as, purpose supposes foresight. "One falsehood always supposes another, and renders all you can say suspected." (Female Quixote) 4. To put by fraud in the place of another. Synonym: To imagine, believe, conclude, judge, consider, view, regard, conjecture, assume. Origin: F. Supposer; pref. Sub- under + poser to place; corresponding in meaning to L. Supponere, suppositum, to put under, to substitute, falsify, counterfeit. See Pose. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|