Assumed to be true without proof; supposed or believed likely.
From Latin praesumere 'to take beforehand,' from prae- 'before' + sumere 'to take.' The legal and logical sense of 'assuming without full evidence' developed from the literal meaning of 'taking something in advance.'
The legal principle 'presumed innocent' brilliantly captures this word's essence - we 'take beforehand' the assumption of innocence before evidence proves otherwise. This reflects a fundamental shift from medieval justice (where accusation implied guilt) to modern legal reasoning.
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