conjecture

/kən-ˈjek-chər/

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin conjectura, from conjectus, past participle of conicere, literally, to throw together, from com- + jacere to throw

noun

  1. inference formed without proof or sufficient evidence

  2. a conclusion deduced by surmise or guesswork

  3. a proposition (as in mathematics) before it has been proved or disproved

The criminal's motive remains a matter of conjecture.

verb

  1. to arrive at or deduce by surmise or guesswork : guess

  2. to make conjectures as to

  3. to form conjectures

scientists conjecturing that a disease is caused by a defective gene

noun phrase

  1. —used to say that something is based on an idea formed without proof or sufficient evidence