presumptive

adjective

pre·​sump·​tive pri-ˈzəm(p)-tiv 

1

: based on probability or presumption

the presumptive nominee/winner

see also heir presumptive

2

: giving grounds for reasonable opinion or belief

A blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent is considered presumptive evidence of drunken driving in Louisiana for those 21 and older.

—Joe Gyan Jr.

He was admitted to the hospital with a presumptive diagnosis of cellulitis.

—Mary Jo Bonner

… health departments in 20 states reported 100 presumptive or confirmed human cases of arboviral disease …

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

3

: being an embryonic precursor with the potential for forming a particular structure or tissue in the normal course of development

presumptive retina

presumptively adverb

Synonyms

• believable
• credible
• creditable
• likely
• plausible
• probable

Examples of presumptive in a Sentence

in that climate of fear, an accusation alone was presumptive evidence of guilt

Recent Examples on the Web

Orban, a darling of U.S. conservatives aligned with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, has worked to block the NATO expansion and EU aid to Ukraine. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024

Biden's campaign tweaked the lyrics via captions to diss the presumptive Republican nominee personally, calling him out on policy and his own social media use. —Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is set to face-off against President Biden in a rematch of the 2020 contest. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 May 2024

With roughly six months until the election, presumptive Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are locked in a tight race for the presidency. —Abc News, ABC News, 6 May 2024

The two-day event — which could provide large sums towards Trump’s political war chest — will allow the presumptive Republican candidate to observe his prospective running mates, according to Reuters. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024

Prosecutors have spent the week using detailed testimony about meetings, email exchanges, business transactions and bank accounts to build on the foundation of their case accusing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee of a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election. —Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 3 May 2024

Poll after poll show voters trust the presumptive Republican 2024 nominee more on the economy than the incumbent, President Biden. —Asma Khalid, NPR, 2 May 2024

Biden jokes about age and swipes at Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner Biden took some shots at Donald Trump at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday night, mixing jabs at his presumptive election opponent with serious talk about the stakes in November. —Josh Feldman, NBC News, 28 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing presumptive

• heir presumptive

Medical Definition

presumptive

adjective

pre·​sump·​tive pri-ˈzəm(p)-tiv 

1

: expected to develop in a particular direction under normal conditions

presumptive regions of the blastula

2

: being the embryonic precursor of

presumptive neural tissue

3

: giving grounds for reasonable opinion

a presumptive diagnosis of dengue

presumptive or confirmed cases of communicable disease

Legal Definition

presumptive

adjective

pre·​sump·​tive pri-ˈzəmp-tiv 

1

: based on presumption : presumed to have occurred

a presumptive violation of law

2

: giving grounds for reasonable opinion or belief

presumptively adverb