Presumably — Meaning, Definition & Examples

Definition

Used to say what you think is the likely situation based on what seems reasonable, even though you don’t have definite proof.

Context Alive

Nobody had heard from Jake all morning, which was unusual. He had mentioned feeling unwell the night before, so presumably he had stayed home to rest. His colleagues decided to check in with him later just to make sure everything was okay.

Meanings

1 meaning

1 Used to Express a Logical Assumption (Adverb) Very Common ▼

This meaning is about stating something you believe is probably true based on the evidence, without knowing for certain. Imagine arriving at a friend’s house and seeing two extra pairs of shoes by the door — presumably, they have guests over. You don’t know for sure, but it’s the most logical conclusion. This is making a reasonable guess based on what you can see or know. You might say “she’s not answering her phone — presumably she’s still in the meeting” or “he left early, presumably to catch his flight.” Or think about reading that a restaurant has closed and there’s no explanation — presumably, it wasn’t making enough money. The word signals that you’re being careful — you believe something is true but you’re leaving room for being wrong. ✏️ Presumably can go at the start of a sentence, in the middle, or at the end: “Presumably he forgot,” “He presumably forgot,” or “He forgot, presumably.” All three are natural and common.

Vivid Example

The lights in the office were still on at midnight. Presumably, someone on the night team was working late to meet the Friday deadline. The security guard made a note of it and continued his rounds without worry.

Examples from the Street

“He’s not here yet — presumably he’s stuck in traffic.”

He hasn’t arrived — I’m guessing he’s caught up on the road, though I don’t know for certain

“Presumably you’ve already spoken to your boss about this?”

I’m assuming you’ve already raised this with the person in charge — haven’t you?

“She left without saying goodbye — presumably she was upset about something.”

She walked out without a word — I can only assume something was bothering her

Common Patterns

presumably + clause → I assume this is true based on logic, though I’m not certain

presumably he/she/they/it… → used to guess what someone did or what happened

presumably so / presumably not → short responses meaning “I assume yes” or “I assume no”

presumably because… → giving an assumed reason for something

presumably this means… → offering a logical interpretation of something

Presumably, + sentence → at the start, introducing an assumption about the whole statement

subject + presumably + verb → in the middle, softening a specific claim

statement + presumably → at the end, adding doubt or assumption after a statement (less common)

presumably you…? → I’m assuming you did this — am I right?

presumably that means…? → I’m guessing the implication is… — can you confirm?

presumably there’s a reason…? → I assume an explanation exists — what is it?

Collocations

2 collocations

presumably correct

most likely right based on available information

presumably because

most likely for the reason that

Example Sentences

12 examples

1

He didn’t come to the party — presumably he wasn’t invited

He wasn’t at the celebration — I can only assume nobody asked him to come.

2

Presumably the meeting’s been cancelled, since nobody’s mentioned it all morning

I’m guessing the scheduled discussion has been called off, given that not a single person has brought it up all day.

3

She resigned last week — presumably because she got a better offer somewhere else

She handed in her notice a few days ago — I can only assume it was because a more attractive opportunity came along.

4

Presumably you’ve read the report before coming to this meeting?

I’m assuming you’ve gone through the document before turning up to this discussion — is that right?

5

The restaurant was empty at eight o’clock — presumably most people eat later in this country

The eating establishment had no customers at that hour — I imagine people in this part of the world tend to have their evening meal at a later time.

6

They’ve invested millions in the project, so presumably they expect a significant return

They’ve put an enormous amount of money into the undertaking, so I’d assume they’re anticipating getting a large profit back.

7

“Will they accept the offer?” — “Presumably so, but we won’t know until Friday.”

“Do you think they’ll agree to the deal?” — “I’d guess they will, but we can’t be sure until the end of the week.”

8

Presumably this means we’ll all have to reapply for our own jobs

I’m guessing the implication of this is that every one of us will need to go through the application process again for the positions we already hold.

9

He was presumably aware of the risks when he agreed to take part

I’d assume he knew about the potential dangers when he decided to get involved.

10

Presumably there’s a reason they haven’t replied to any of our emails in three weeks

I can only assume some explanation exists for why they haven’t responded to a single one of our messages in almost a month.

Learner Examples

★

If a student keeps making the same mistake, presumably the way it was taught the first time didn’t work, so I need to try a different approach

When a learner repeats the same error over and over, I can only assume the original method of explaining it wasn’t effective, so I have to find another way of presenting it.

★

Presumably most students already know some English before they enter my classroom — the challenge is building on what they’ve already got

I’d assume the majority of learners have at least some knowledge of the language before they start my lessons — the difficulty lies in developing and expanding what they already bring with them.