presumptive

adj

1. Based on presumption or conjecture; inferred, likely, presumed.

   “By late May, he was already considered his party’s presumptive nominee.”

   “Hovv delightfully vvould your time have been taken up vvith the appeals of ſcolding vvives, forſaken damſels and vvitches preſumptive!”

   “It's a beautiful point of presumptive murder, and there's been nane like it in the Justiciar Court since the case of Luckie Smith the howdie, that suffered in the year saxteen hundred and seventy-nine.”

2. Based on presumption or conjecture; inferred, likely, presumed.

   “The Queen’s younger brother was the heir presumptive to the throne, until she gave birth to her first child.”

3. Based on presumption or conjecture; inferred, likely, presumed.
4. Synonym of presumptuous (“making unwarranted presumptions or assumptions, often out of arrogance or excessive self-confidence, and thus exceeding what is appropriate or right”).

   “Forgive me for being presumptive, but aren’t you and Mark engaged?”

   “The inſolence of your reply to me yeſterday, in the long-room, I might have overlooked, had not your preſumptive emulation in a much more intereſting affair, and a diſcovery vvhich I made this morning, concurred in perſuading me to chaſtiſe your audacity vvith my ſvvord.”

5. (often)Chiefly in presumptive evidence: providing a reasonable basis for a certain presumption or conclusion to be drawn.

   “The perſon in this ſituation [having a mere right of property without possession or the right of possession of the property] may have the true ultimate property of the lands in himſelf: but by the intervention of certain circumſtances, either by his ovvn negligence, the ſolemn act of his anceſtor, or the determination of a court of juſtice, the preſumptive evidence of that right is ſtrongly in favour of his antagoniſt; vvho has thereby obtained the abſolute right of poſſeſſion.”

   “Though we had seen no land since leaving Calloa, Cape Horn was said to be somewhere to the West of us; and though there was no positive evidence of the fact, the weather encountered might be accounted pretty good presumptive proof.”