ظن

ظَنٌّ ذ is a simple subst. as well as an inf. n.; (TA;) and signifies Thought, opinion, supposition, or conjecture: (Er-Rághib, Mgh, TA:) or a preponderant belief, with the admission that the contrary may be the case: (KT, El-Munáwee, TA:) or a preponderating wavering between the two extremes in indecisive belief: (K:) or an inference from a sign, or mark, or token; when strong, leading to knowledge; and when weak, not exceeding the limit of وَهْم: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or doubt or uncertainty; (T, M;) or it has this meaning also; (Er-Rághib, TA;) contr. of يَقِينٌ: (Msb:) and sometimes it is put in the place, (S, K,) or used in the sense, (Mgh, Msb,) of عِلْمٌ, (S, Mgh, K,) or يَقِينٌ, (Msb,) [i. e. knowledge, or certainty, ] in which sense it is [held by some to be] tropical; (Mgh;) or it signifies also knowledge, or certainty, (يَقِينٌ, T, M,) such as is obtained by considering with endeavour to understand, not by ocular perception, (M,) or not such as relates to an object of sense: (MF:) and it also means suspicion, or evil opinion: (Er-Rághib, TA: [but in this last sense, ظِنَّةٌ is more common:]) as a subst., (TA,) its pl. is ظُنُونٌ and أَظَانِينُ, (M, K, TA,) the latter anomalous, or (as ISd says, TA) it may be pl. of ↓ أُظْنُونَةٌ, but this I do not know. (M, TA.) One says, هُوَ سَيِّئُ الظَّنِّ بِكُلِّ أَحَدٍ [ He is evil in opinion of everyone ]. (M.) [And سَاآءَ ظَنُّهُ بِفُلَانٍ His opinion of such a one was evil. ] And عِلْمُهُ بِالشَّىْءِ ظُنُونٌ [ His knowledge is but opinions ]; meaning that no confidence is to be placed in him. (TA.)