If someone told you that you were being presumptuous, would you know what they meant? The correct presumptuous meaning would be that you had overstepped proper bounds or taken liberties. Still confused? Keep reading to fully understand this word’s meaning, origin, and correct usage.
Related:
- Presume vs. Assume: Which One Should You Use?
- Gist Meaning: What Is Gist?
- Demeanor Meaning: What Does It Mean?
What Does Presumptuous Mean?
A presumptuous meaning that most people can relate to is taking liberties not expressly granted. In other words, you assume doing something is okay when someone who can give that okay hasn’t.
Presumptuous comes from the Old French presumptueux, which in turn came from the Latin praesumptuosus. It was a variant of praesumtiosus, meaning “full of boldness.”
Example sentences:
- It was rather presumptuous of you to walk in and make yourself at home when I wasn’t even home!
- I hope this wasn’t presumptuous of me, but I went ahead and put those dishes away.
- Her presumptuous nature got her in trouble when she helped herself to her new best friend’s favorite chocolates.
- If you ask to help rather than assuming it’s wanted, you won’t be accused of being a presumptuous doctor.
- Taking home the leftover pizza when he hadn’t paid for it was a presumptuous move that annoyed his coworkers.
Synonyms Of Presumptuous
Presumptuous isn’t an easy word to spell, nor is it too smooth on the tongue. For that reason, it’s good to know some synonyms or related words. Another benefit of knowing some is that you might have a better word for precise meaning or connotation. Here are several:
- Arrogant
- Audacious
- Bold
- Brazen
- Forward
- Impertinent
- Impudent
How to Use Presumptuous
You can use presumptuous when somebody feels entitled to do something they haven’t asked or received permission for —that should be clear in the example sentence above. But they also reveal something else important.
A person acting presumptuously might be unaware of it and might have good intentions. For example, say you grab an elderly lady’s groceries and carry them to her car for her. You’re trying to be nice, but she might take offense and think you think she’s incapable.
You could also act in a presumptuous manner if you’re unaware of the expectations in a certain situation. Say you’ve never attended a formal dinner. You might not know to ask for someone to pass a tray rather than reach across the table for it. That’s more a case of being clueless than presumptuous.
Since presumptuous behavior isn’t always out of arrogance or selfishness, it’s important to consider tone when addressing it. That way, someone who meant no harm might learn something and will do better in the future.
Presumptuous vs. Presumptive: Which One to Use?
Presumptive looks and sounds quite a bit like presumptuous. While they’re similar in meaning, they aren’t truly synonyms, though.
Let’s take a look at what presumptive means and how to use it. The adjective presumptive is a form of the noun presumption. A presumption is a reasonable assumption or belief based on some kind of precedent or evidence.
In our legal system, defendants have presumptive innocence because they are presumed innocent until proven guilty. To a prosecutor, there may be presumptive guilt if a murder weapon is found in a defendant’s home.
Let’s look at another example. It’s an election year, and you may have heard that Joe Biden and Donald Trump are their parties’ presumptive nominees. They haven’t been formally nominated yet, but they have no viable challengers. Therefore, they will likely be their parties’ presidential nominees.
In short, presumptive assumes there has been permission, evidence, or past grounds to support a belief or action. Presumptuous implies there has not.
Final Thoughts
The presumptuous meaning you should understand by now is of a thought or action not supported by permission or precedent. It isn’t always an act of bad faith or entitlement. When considering how to respond to presumptuous behavior, it’s usually best to consider the other person’s intent or experience. An obvious exception might be if grievous harm or offense has occurred.
