conjecture 1 of 2

noun

kən-ˈjek-chər How to pronounce conjecture (audio)
Definition of conjecturenext
as in guess
an opinion or judgment based on little or no evidence the many conjectures about the true identity of Jack the Ripper

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conjecture

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to estimate
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement he conjectured that the theater could seat 1000 people more or less

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to guess
to form an opinion from little or no evidence you're only conjecturing that he was the culprit

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conjecture
Noun
Early in her career, Julia Roberts was dogged by rumors in the press that painted her as difficult to work with — not to mention constant conjecture and rumormongering about illicit behavior. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026 But the researchers don't have enough data to make that conjecture. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 16 July 2026
Verb
Suspicion fell on Shiite families, though many dismissed these conjectures; in Ain el-Mreisseh, people know their neighbors. — Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026 Or, in some cases with Goodman, might lie within the realm of fantasy, delusion, and conjecture? — Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for conjecture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conjecture
  1. guess
  2. estimate
  3. assume
  4. theory
  5. figure
  6. suppose
  7. calculate
  8. suspect
Noun
  • My best guess for the structure of the stream is some sort of hybrid between real-world imagery, cutscenes and actual gameplay.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Yet 167 years after German mathematician Bernhard Riemann made this guess, and in spite of a million-dollar bounty, mathematicians still have no idea how to prove it.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of guess
Verb
  • The results of that study, published in 2016, identified 235 distinct bears using genetic testing and estimated the total bear population in western Connecticut was around 400 to 450 individuals.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Ventura County Sheriff's Office estimated that the total damage will cost car owners several thousand dollars.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of estimate
Verb
  • Every serious player in the industry is funding a different way to need less of the thing the market assumes stays scarce.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Do not assume everyone is on the same page because the vibe feels good.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of assume
Noun
  • Their goal was to test the leading theory, first put forward in the 1980s, that turbulence — the irregular motion of air currents in the atmosphere — caused shadow bands.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Zahary emphasized that LLMs, in his experience, have been valuable in assisting humans in developing new theories or finding answers to problems.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of theory
Verb
  • StemRad engineers, though, figured dressing as a medieval knight doesn’t really get you all that much.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • If the Wildcats, who are looking to bounce back from two consecutive losing seasons, are good, Schueneman figures to be a catalyst.
    — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of figure
Verb
  • How else are we supposed to make sense of the people and policies shaping life in the best state in the union?
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • His eyes are closed and he’s turned to the side for a moment, lost in the process of remembering how exactly he’s supposed to get into one of his big joke sections.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppose
Verb
  • How those amounts are calculated also appears widely up to the provider and can be opaque.
    — Julie Appleby, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Scientists calculated the Earth’s average temperature in 2025 among one of the three hottest on record, along with 2024 and 2023.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of calculate
Verb
  • But no one suspects Becca, who walks away with an additional seven points, leaping from a tie for last place (with Izzy and Erika) to a clean win, and the fanciest, courtliest, most butterfly-est wig of them all.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Although gang ties to Tupac’s killing had been suspected from the beginning, the search for the killer was long hampered by the refusal of potential eyewitnesses to testify.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of suspect

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conjecture
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Cite this Entry

“Conjecture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conjecture. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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