conjecture.

A proposed explanation or conclusion that has not been established by sufficient evidence or proof.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• plausible conjecture
• remain conjecture
• test a conjecture

On the page

The claim about the author's motive remains conjecture.

Several conjectures were offered to explain the missing entries.

A computer search found no counterexample, but the conjecture still lacks a proof.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic. Can refer to the activity of speculation or a specific proposed claim. In mathematics, a conjecture remains unproved; it need not be an uninformed guess. Singular: conjecture; plural: conjectures. Derived family (not inflections): conjectural; conjecture also functions as a verb. Secondary verb inflections [base, third, past, past participle, -ing]: conjecture, conjectures, conjectured, conjectured, conjecturing.