pre·sump·tive / priˈzəmptiv/ • adj. of the nature of a presumption; presumed in the absence of further information: a presumptive diagnosis. ∎  Law giving grounds for the inference of a fact or of the appropriate interpretation of the law. ∎ another term for presumptuous.DERIVATIVES: pre·sump·tive·ly adv.

presumptive Describing embryonic tissue that is not yet determined but which will eventually develop into a certain kind of tissue by virtue of its position in the embryo.