1
general::
assumption
verbs
make an assumption
• You’re making a lot of assumptions for which you have no proof.
be based on/rest on an assumption
• Our plans were based on the assumption that everyone would be willing to help.
work on an assumption
(= act according to something that may not be true )
• The police seemed to be working on the assumption that he was guilty.
adjectives
a reasonable/valid assumption
• This seemed like a reasonable assumption.
a common/general/widespread assumption
• There’s a common assumption that science is more difficult than other subjects.
a basic/fundamental/underlying assumption
• There is a basic assumption in international law that a state will protect its citizens.
a correct assumption
• Many people acted on the correct assumption that interest rates would rise.
a wrong/false/mistaken assumption
• Both theories are based on a single wrong assumption.
an underlying assumption
(= a belief that is used as the basis for an idea, but which may not be correct )
• There seems to be an underlying assumption in what he says that women are weaker than men.
a tacit/unspoken assumption
(= one that no one says aloud )
• There seemed to be a tacit assumption that they would get married.
a questionable assumption
(= one that is likely to be wrong )
• That assumption was obviously highly questionable.
transnet.ir
2
general::
noun ADJ. basic, fundamental, hidden, implicit, tacit, underlying, unspoken | common, conventional, general, shared, widespread shared assumptions between teachers and parents | correct, reasonable, valid | erroneous, false, flawed, incorrect, mistaken, questionable, wrong QUANT. number, series, set Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions. VERB + ASSUMPTION make She's always making assumptions about how much money people have. | base sth on, start from, work on We are working on the assumption that the techniques are safe. | accept | challenge, disprove, question, test ASSUMPTION + VERB underly sth, underpin sth the assumptions underlying their beliefs PREP. on the ~ that I set the table for eight people, on the assumption that Jo would come. | ~ about assumptions about how women should behave
Oxford Collocations Dictionary