Assumed

How to spell assumed

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce assumed

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does assumed mean?

1. verbTook something to be true or likely without proof or confirmation.
2. adjectivePretended or false, adopted to disguise the truth, as with a name or identity.
3. verbTook on a duty, role, or responsibility.

Assumed in a sentence

• verb

  She assumed the meeting had been cancelled and stayed home.

• adjective

  The fugitive checked into the hotel under an assumed name.

• verb

  After the director resigned, she assumed full control of the project.

• verb

  The manager wrongly assumed that everyone had read the email.

• adjective

  She wrote her early novels with an assumed identity to protect her privacy.

• verb

  The deputy assumed command while the chief was away.

Where does assumed come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin verb assumere, which meant literally 'to take up' or 'to take to oneself', built from the prefix ad- ('to, towards') and sumere ('to take'). The same sumere root quietly powers a whole family of English words, including 'consume', 'presume', and 'resume', all of which carry that idea of taking something in some way. English adopted 'assume' through the late 1400s, at first in the sense of taking something on or taking it for granted, and the -ed ending later gave us the form written here. The meaning split usefully over time: one branch led to 'supposing without proof' and the other to 'putting on' a role, name, or appearance. The spelling trap is the double s, a direct inheritance from the Latin assimilation of ad- into as- before the s of sumere, so writers who hear only a single hiss sound often drop one letter.

How the word is built

• as- (from ad-, meaning 'to' or 'towards')
• sum (from sumere, 'to take up')
• -ed (past tense / adjective suffix)