conjecturing
Forming unproven theories
Conjecturing is forming opinions or conclusions based on incomplete information—guessing, but with some reasoning behind it.
The word carries more weight than mere speculation, suggesting an attempt to piece together what might be true: Scientists spent years conjecturing about the planet's atmosphere before the probe arrived.
Inferring without certainty
- supposingConjecture as premise
- assumingAccepting as true unverified
- presumingTaking for granted
- speculatingGuessing without certainty
estimating · inferring · suspecting · reckoning · figuring · imagining · guesswork · hunch
Reflective contemplation
- wonderingFeeling curiosity about something
- contemplatingThinking deeply about
- speculatingGuessing without certainty
- ruminatingThinking deeply, repeatedly
reflecting · deliberating · cogitating · mulling · considering · meditating · questioning · entertaining
Proposing untested explanations
- postulatingAssuming as basis for reasoning
- proposingPutting forth formally
- formulatingCreating through systematic thought
- positingAsserting something provisionally
reasoning · deducing · inferring · conceptualizing · abstracting · generalizing · philosophizing · modeling
Estimating future conditions
- projectingExtending outward from surroundings
- anticipatingExpecting something to happen
- prognosticatingForetelling future events
- foreseeingPerceiving future events
envisioning · divining · presaging · auguring · foretelling · prophesying · extrapolating · estimating
surmising
Inferring without certainty
speculating · estimating · inferring · suspecting · reckoning · figuring · imagining · guesswork · hunch · intuition
musing
Reflective contemplation
- wonderingFeeling curiosity about something
- contemplatingThinking deeply about
- speculatingGuessing without certainty
ruminating · reflecting · deliberating · cogitating · mulling · considering · meditating · questioning · entertaining · weighing
hypothesizing
Proposing untested explanations
- postulatingAssuming as basis for reasoning
- proposingPutting forth formally
- formulatingCreating through systematic thought
positing · reasoning · deducing · inferring · conceptualizing · abstracting · generalizing · philosophizing · modeling · constructing
forecasting
Estimating future conditions
- projectingExtending outward from surroundings
- anticipatingExpecting something to happen
- prognosticatingForetelling future events
foreseeing · envisioning · divining · presaging · auguring · foretelling · prophesying · extrapolating · estimating · foresight
- conjecturinghypothesizing, theorizing, speculating, supposing, surmising
- forecasting methodspredicting, projecting, estimating, anticipating, extrapolating
- thinkingthinking, reasoning, thought, ponder, contemplate
conjecturingknowing
Possessing awareness or insight
proving · demonstrating · confirming · establishing · verifying
conjecturingcalculating
Coldly self-serving in strategy
proving · deducing · deriving · computing · demonstrating