?a1425 tr. Catherine of Siena Orcherd of Syon (Harl.) (1966) 326 Which presumynge and hopynge in hymsilf is cause [read caused] of noþing ellis but by goynge out fro my loue and entrynge into his owne loue.

a1439 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Bodl. 263) i. 3437 (MED) A mene estat is best, who koude it knowe, Tween hih presumyng & bowyng doun to lowe.

a1500 W. Hilton Mixed Life (Royal) in G. G. Perry Eng. Prose Treat. (1921) 22 (MED) Breke downe..with-in thi herte..preysynge of thi silfe and of thi dedis, presumynge of thi silfe, and veynlikynge of thi silfe.

a1576 Lady Abergavenny Praiers in T. Bentley et al. Monument of Matrones (1582) ii. 172 By the transgression of Adam, whose haughtie presuming..thought to be as Thy selfe.

1620 tr. G. Boccaccio Decameron I. iv. ii. f. 150^v Such was the pride of her presuming.

1633 Earl of Manchester Al Mondo: Contemplatio Mortis (rev. ed.) 107 Deferring as well as presuming, makes many men implicite Atheists.

a1694 J. Tillotson Serm. Eph. iv. 29, in Wks. (1717) II. 396 An affront to modest Company, and a rude presuming upon their approbation.

1763 F. Brooke Hist. Lady Julia Mandeville II. 126 I hate the dull road of common marriages: no impertinent presuming on the name of husband; no saucy freedoms.

1814 H. F. Cary tr. Dante Vision III. xxii. 24 Fearful of o'er-much presuming.

1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems xxiv. 6 Ere you suffer his alien arm's presuming.

1941 Times 20 Nov. 5/6 During the last War the people who were least preoccupied with the actual war did most of the presuming and asserting about its causes.

1965 Jrnl. Philos. 62 720 The presuming of these formulae can be taken as giving anchorage to different forms of intellectual self-esteem.

1991 Financial Times (Nexis) 10 Oct. i. 13 Many will feel that there has been too much ‘presuming’ that companies will stay in business.

R. Misyn tr. R. Rolle Mending of Life 120 (MED) Þou art prowd & sturdy, & þa wer lawly & meek; & þa, presumand, of god askyd no-þing.

c1475 Wisdom (Folger) (1969) 335 (MED) Lucyfeer I hyght, Presumynge in Godys syght, Werfor I am lowest in hell.

1560 A. Lok Medit. of Penitent Sinner Pref. sig. Aii^v Not daring with presuming eye Once to beholde the angry heauens face.

1592 R. Greene Quip for Vpstart Courtier sig. C3 There be as fantasticall fooles as your selfe, that perhaps are pufte vp with such presuming thoughts.

1634 T. Herbert Relation Some Yeares Trauaile 206 The inhabitants are numbred by some presuming Suppositist aboue sixtie millions.

1676 J. Dryden Aureng-Zebe Epil. He more fears (like a presuming Man) Their Votes who cannot judge, than theirs who can.

1742 S. Richardson Pamela IV. lx. 449 We all know how ready the Presuming of the other Sex are, right or wrong, to construe the most innocent Meanings in favour of their own Views.

1744 C. Clive Case of Mrs Clive 6 Appeals of this Nature..are by some thought presuming and impertinent.

1795 H. L. Piozzi Diary 10 Aug. in Thraliana (1942) II. 938 Panca fecrit, Plura scripsit; Fæmina tamen Magna fuit. I should like that Line upon my Tombstone mightily—it is not too presuming—is it?

1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice III. x. 181 Pray forgive me, if I have been very presuming . View more context for this quotation

1859 J. S. Mill On Liberty iv. 139 If one person could honestly point out to another that he thinks him in fault, without being considered unmannerly or presuming.

1898 E. N. Westcott David Harum v. 43 It was, if you will not consider me presuming, a matter about which you might have some justifiable curiosity.

1929 Bee (Virginia, Danville) 25 Sept. 3/7 The charges would be satisfactorily explained as technical rather than presuming malice.

1974 R. Adams Shardik li. 426 Insinuating, dandified, with the manners, at once familiar and obsequious, of a presuming servant on the make.