Our conclusion is based on the assumption that all the conditions are met. If those conditions are broken, our conclusion is no longer valid.

Based on the assumption that all precautions are taken as requested, we consider the difference in risk between U.S. and Japanese beef to be extremely small.

When you're in elected office, you always have to operate under the assumption that you're in a dog fight for re-election. It's when you don't prepare for a tough battle, when you're caught flat-footed, that you're vulnerable.

The 'Field of Dreams' Internet--where the assumption was 'If you build it, they will come'--is no longer a reality. Content sites can no longer grow organically, and I give only six more months for most new electronic commerce sites.

They've baked in $50 (per barrel) crude oil and $1.48 (per gallon) jet fuel as their going assumption for fuel expense.

Why do we make the assumption that five months later people are still interested in your product?

A lot of people made the assumption that it was in the bank, but it wasn't. I thought Jeremy handled the pressure extraordinarily well. His run was quite good, he just made a little error and it ended up costing us.

Interrogate yours hidden assumptions

"One and one make two" assumes that the changes in the shift of circumstance are unimportant. But it is impossible for us to analyze this notion of unimportant change.

They are making the assumption that you are still recorded as a dependent on your parents' tax return, and therefore they have some right to send a letter home.