Oletuste

Oletuste is the genitive plural form of the Estonian noun oletus, which means an assumption, presumption, or conjecture. The word refers to propositions or premises that are taken as given in reasoning, analysis, or planning. Oletused can underpin arguments, models, or forecasts, especially in formal or scientific contexts where certain conditions are assumed for the sake of discussion or calculation.

In usage, oletus contrasts with hypothesis. An oletus is a general assumption that may not be empirically tested, whereas a hüpotees (hypothesis) is typically a testable proposition. The genitive plural form oletuste is used with words that require the genitive case, such as vastavalt, kohaselt, or alusel, to express relationships like “according to the assumptions,” “based on the assumptions,” or “in line with the assumptions.” Example phrases include vastavalt oletustele (according to the assumptions) and oletuste kohaselt (in accordance with the assumptions).

Morphologically, oletus declines as follows: nominative singular oletus, genitive singular oletuse, partitive singular oletust, nominative plural oletused, genitive plural oletuste. Oletuste is most commonly encountered in written Estonian, including academic, technical, and policy texts, where explicit mention of underlying premises is common.

See also: oletus, hüpotees, arvamus.