conjecture
/kənˈdʒektʃə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈdʒektʃər/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈjek-chər/ (ame, mw) · /kənˈdʒek.tʃər/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈdʒek.tʃɚ/ (ame, ipa)
conjecture — noun
- conjecturesingular
- conjecturesplural
1. an idea or view about something that someone has reached by guessing rather than
an idea or view about something that someone has reached by guessing rather than by knowing real facts, or the act of arriving at such an idea.
Rodrigo's claim that the missing keys were stolen is pure conjecture.
collocation: pure conjecture
Without any witnesses, the police report relied heavily on conjecture about the driver's speed.
rely on conjecture (uncountable use)
Sayaka dismissed the rumour as idle conjecture and refused to comment further.
Many history books about the ancient king are based on conjecture rather than written records.
The professor warned the students to label their conjectures clearly in the lab report.
- speculation
very close in meaning; slightly more about extended thinking aloud, while 'conjecture' often points to a single inferred conclusion
- guesswork
less formal; emphasises the unreliable method rather than the resulting idea
- supposition
more neutral and less suggestive of weak evidence; often used as a starting point for an argument
- hypothesis
scientific or academic; a guess put forward to be tested, not just an opinion
文法句型
pure conjecture
based on conjecture
用法筆記
Often appears as the uncountable mass noun in fixed frames: 'pure conjecture', 'based on conjecture', 'a matter of conjecture'. The countable plural 'conjectures' refers to individually identifiable guesses (e.g. several distinct theories).
常見錯誤
conjecture — verb
- conjecturepresent simple I / you / we / they
- conjectures3rd person singular
- conjecturing-ing form
- conjecturedpast simple
1. to form a view about why something happens or what is true, working only from ho
to form a view about why something happens or what is true, working only from how a situation looks rather than from solid evidence.
Reporters conjectured that the minister had resigned because of the budget scandal.
conjecture + that-clause
Christopher could only conjecture about what had happened during the long blackout.
conjecture about + noun (intransitive)
Historians have long conjectured a peaceful contact between the two ancient tribes.
When the lights went out, Sivan conjectured that a tree had fallen on the power line.
It was widely conjectured that the painting had been hidden inside the chapel for centuries.
- speculate
near-synonym; slightly more about thinking aloud over possibilities, less about reaching a single conclusion
- surmise
very formal and literary; emphasises drawing a conclusion from small clues
- hypothesize
scientific register; put forward an idea specifically to be tested
- guess
everyday register; neutral, no suggestion of careful reasoning
文法句型
conjecture + that-clause
conjecture about + noun
用法筆記
Frequently followed by a that-clause stating the guessed proposition. The passive 'it is/was conjectured that …' is common in academic writing when no specific person is named as the guesser. Distinguish from sense-less 'guess' — conjecture implies the speaker is reasoning from indirect signs, not picking blindly.