I. kənˈjekchə(r), -ksh- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French conjecture, from Latin conjectura, from conjectus (past participle of conjicere to throw together, conjecture, divine, from com- + -jicere, from jacere to throw) + -ura -ure — more at jet
1. obsolete
a. : interpretation of signs or omens ; also : a conclusion so drawn
b. : supposition
now entertain conjecture of a time when — Shakespeare
2. : inference from defective or presumptive evidence : the act of making or state of being absorbed in making such inference
lost in conjecture
3. : an inference or conclusion drawn or deduced by surmise or guesswork
a mistaken conjecture
specifically : a conjectural emendation of a text
II. verb
( conjectured ; conjectured ; conjecturing -kchəriŋ, -ksh(ə)r- ; conjectures )
Etymology: Middle English conjecturen, from Middle French conjecturer, from conjecture, n.
transitive verb
: to arrive at by conjecture or to make conjectures as to : infer by way of surmise : form opinions concerning on grounds confessedly insufficient to certain conclusion
intransitive verb
: to make or form conjectures ; especially : to indulge in surmise
Synonyms:
conjecture , surmise , and guess may be compared in that they can all signify the forming of an opinion or the arriving at a conclusion on insufficient evidence or without evidence or signify the opinion or conclusion arrived at in this way. Of the three, conjecture usually, though not always, suggests some evidence although insufficient; it usually implies a strong awareness that what evidence there may be is not really sufficient
it is easy to dismiss the false Cleopatra but the true one can only be conjectured, for the material for a reasoned verdict is lost — John Buchan
Washington conjectured that at least 300 of the enemy were killed — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
surmise may be used in the same way as conjecture although it usually strongly implies the flimsiness of the evidence
the rest of them were on holiday supposedly attending to their religious duties, though Simon surmised that they would be strolling idly about — L.C.Douglas
as to how they came there he could only surmise that they had entered through the stable yard, as otherwise he must have observed their approach — Rafael Sabatini
we are not told what their business was but we may surmise it was the fur trade — G.F.Hudson
guess usually implies a complete or almost complete absence of evidence; it suggests rather the use of intuition or suspicion and a reliance upon chance for verification
you would never guess from meeting them that anyone would pay them for their ideas — Rose Macaulay
Tristram guessed what was passing in his friend's mind — T.B.Costain
he expected this eighteen-year-old girl to guess his love and understand its esoteric quality, without being told — H.S.Canby