conjecture
Meaning: An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information; a guess or speculation. Also used as a verb meaning to form such an opinion.
Conjecture implies reasoning without firm proof, occupying a space between informed guessing and rigorous analysis. In mathematics, a conjecture is a proposition that is believed to be true but has not yet been proved. In everyday and academic usage, it often carries a slightly dismissive tone, suggesting the idea lacks sufficient evidence.
Examples
- At this point, any explanation for the phenomenon is mere conjecture. 目前,对这一现象的任何解释都只是推测而已。A estas alturas, cualquier explicación del fenómeno es mera conjetura.現時点では、この現象に対するいかなる説明も単なる推測に過ぎない。현 시점에서 이 현상에 대한 어떠한 설명도 단순한 추측에 불과하다.
- Scientists can only conjecture about the composition of the planet's core. 科学家只能对该行星核心的构成进行推测。Los científicos solo pueden conjeturar sobre la composición del núcleo del planeta.科学者たちはその惑星の核の組成について推測することしかできない。과학자들은 그 행성 핵의 구성에 대해 추측만 할 수 있을 뿐이다.
- The Goldbach conjecture remains one of the oldest unsolved problems in mathematics. 哥德巴赫猜想仍然是数学史上最古老的未解决问题之一。La conjetura de Goldbach sigue siendo uno de los problemas no resueltos más antiguos de las matemáticas.ゴールドバッハの予想は、数学における最も古い未解決問題の一つであり続けている。골드바흐의 추측은 수학에서 가장 오래된 미해결 문제 중 하나로 남아 있다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, media
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin coniectura (a guess, inference), from conicere (to throw together, to guess), from con- (together) + iacere (to throw). Entered English in the 14th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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