assumption
noun
Assumption — the deliberate act of taking on power, possession, or position
Definition
The act of taking possession of or power over something; "his assumption of office coincided with the trouble in Cuba"; "the Nazi assumption of power in 1934"; "he acquired all the company's assets for ten million dollars and the assumption of the company's debts"
In depth
Assumption is the act of taking possession of or power over something, often used to describe stepping formally into a role, office, or responsibility. The word also carries an entirely separate and far more common meaning, a belief taken for granted without proof, and writers should rely on context to clarify which sense, formal possession or unproven belief, is intended.
Origin
The word descends from Latin assumere, to take up, formed from ad- (to) and sumere (to take). That underlying sense of taking up, whether a role, a burden, or an unproven idea, unites the word's seemingly distinct meanings, both describing something deliberately taken on, whether power and responsibility or belief without certain proof.
Usage examples
"His assumption of office coincided with one of the most difficult periods the organization had ever faced."
"Her assumption of the new responsibilities was handled with a calm confidence that immediately reassured the rest of the team."
"The treaty included formal provisions for the assumption of debt by the incoming government."
How to use it
Assumption's sense of formally taking on power or responsibility is precise but somewhat formal, common in legal, political, and institutional writing, distinct from the word's far more common everyday sense describing an unproven belief or supposition.
Related concepts
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