assume

transitive verb (assumed; assuming) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin assumere, from ad- + sumere to take — more at consume Date: 15th century 1. a. to take up or in ; receive b. to take into partnership, employment, or use 2. a. to take to or upon oneself ; undertake <

assume responsibility

> b. put on, don c. to place oneself in <

assume a position

> 3. seize, usurp <

assume control

> 4. to pretend to have or be ; feign <

assumed an air of confidence in spite of her dismay

> 5. to take as granted or true ; suppose <

I assume he'll be there

> 6. to take over (the debts of another) as one's own • assumability noun • assumable adjective • assumably adverb Synonyms: assume, affect, pretend, simulate, feign, counterfeit, sham mean to put on a false or deceptive appearance. assume often implies a justifiable motive rather than an intent to deceive <

assumed an air of cheerfulness around the patients

>. affect implies making a false show of possessing, using, or feeling <

affected an interest in art

>. pretend implies an overt and sustained false appearance <

pretended that nothing had happened

>. simulate suggests a close imitation of the appearance of something <

cosmetics that simulate a suntan

>. feign implies more artful invention than pretend less specific mimicry than simulate <

feigned sickness

>. counterfeit implies achieving the highest degree of verisimilitude of any of these words <

an actor counterfeiting drunkenness

>. sham implies an obvious falseness that fools only the gullible <

shammed a most unconvincing limp

>.