different between conjecture vs foreboding

English

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin coniect?ra (“a guess”), from coniectus, perfect passive participle of c?nici? (“throw or cast together; guess”), from con- (“together”) + iaci? (“throw, hurl”); see jet. Compare adjective, eject, inject, project, reject, subject, object, trajectory.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /k?n?d???k.t???(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /k?n?d???k.t???/

Noun

conjecture (countable and uncountable, plural conjectures)

1. (formal) A statement or an idea which is unproven, but is thought to be true; a guess.

   I explained it, but it is pure conjecture whether he understood, or not.

2. (formal) A supposition based upon incomplete evidence; a hypothesis.

   The physicist used his conjecture about subatomic particles to design an experiment.

3. (mathematics, linguistics) A statement likely to be true based on available evidence, but which has not been formally proven.
4. (obsolete) Interpretation of signs and omens.

Synonyms

• halseny
• See also Thesaurus:supposition

Related terms

• conject
• conjectural

Translations

Verb

conjecture (third-person singular simple present conjectures, present participle conjecturing, simple past and past participle conjectured)

1. (formal, intransitive) To guess; to venture an unproven idea.

   I do not know if it is true; I am simply conjecturing here.

2. (transitive) To infer on slight evidence; to guess at.
   • February 22, 1685, Robert South, All Contingences under the Direction of God's Providence (sermon preached at Westminster Abbey)

     Human reason can then, at the best, but conjecture what will be.

Translations

Further reading

• conjecture in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “conjecture”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• conjecture in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin coniect?ra.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.??k.ty?/

Noun

conjecture f (plural conjectures)

1. conjecture

Usage notes

Not to be confused with conjoncture.

Verb

conjecture

1. first-person singular present indicative of conjecturer
2. third-person singular present indicative of conjecturer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of conjecturer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of conjecturer
5. second-person singular imperative of conjecturer

Further reading

• “conjecture” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Participle

conject?re

1. vocative masculine singular of conject?rus

Portuguese

Verb

conjecture

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of conjecturar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of conjecturar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of conjecturar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of conjecturar

English

Alternative forms

• forboding (much less commonly used)

Etymology

From Middle English forbodyng, vorboding, equivalent to fore- +? boding. Compare German Vorbote (“harbinger, omen”).

Noun

foreboding (plural forebodings)

1. A sense of evil to come.

   Synonym: augury
2. An evil omen.

Translations

Adjective

foreboding (comparative more foreboding, superlative most foreboding)

1. Of ominous significance; serving as an ill omen; foretelling of harm or difficulty.

Verb

foreboding

1. present participle of forebode