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postulate Definition

pos·tu·late (päs′c̸hə lāt′; for n., usually, -lit)

transitive verb -·lat′ed, -·lat′·ing

  1. to claim; demand; require
  2. to assume without proof to be true, real, or necessary, esp. as a basis for argument
  3. to take as self-evident; assume

Etymology: < L postulatus, pp. of postulare, to demand < base of poscere, to demand < IE *pṛskā, question < base *per-, to ask > Ger frage, question

noun

  1. something postulated; assumption or axiom
  2. a prerequisite
  3. a basic principle

Etymology: ModL postulatum < neut. of L postulatus

postulate Related Forms
pos′·tu·la′·tion noun
postulate Synonyms

postulate

v.

posit, hypothesize, presume, predicate; see assume 1, guess 1, propose 1. See syn. study at assume.

postulate Usage Examples

Object

  • existence: An atheist does not believe in god or postulate the existence of gods or spiritual beings.
  • universe: But if there were no communication at all there wouldn't be any point to our postulating the other universes.
  • entity: It says that you should not postulate unnecessary entities.
  • scenario: On this basis, we have postulated two scenarios for the future of energy.
  • mechanism: The postulated mechanism is that the body's ' biofield ' - a unproven form of energy - interacts with light.
  • theory: All these experiments would provide a wide range of empirical evidence that may then be used to postulate a theory.

Converse of object

  • prove: Why did people want to prove the parallel postulate?

Subject

  • theory: In the age of mass individuality, the car was a reified consumer commodity, as postulated by the theory of the Frankfurt School.

Adjective modifier

  • fifth: Instead he studied geometry in which the fifth postulate does not necessarily hold.
  • parallel: Why did people want to prove the parallel postulate?
  • fundamental: By how many teachers of Christianity even is not this fundamental postulate persistently ignored?
  • basic: The basic postulates of analytical psychology, Chapter IX of Modern man in search of a soul.

Modifying Another Word

  • therefore: We must therefore postulate some intermediate stages which rubbish passed through after breakage but before burial.
  • also: I also postulate that it will usually be in Local Time.
  • then: Once postulated then this rational choice is the one all agents are expected to converge on.
  • first: Sam had thought it was good when it was first postulated.

Noun used with modifier

  • probability: Several authors justify the probability postulate without relying on the sleeping pill argument.
  • author: Three had potentially fatal asystole, and the authors postulate that asystole might underlie SUDEP in some patients.
  • theory: The supersymmetric theories postulate that every particle we observe has a massive " shadow " particle partner.

Preposition: by

  • theory: We have here quite the opposite phenomenon to that postulated by the traditional price theories of the cycle.
postulate Quotes

One might lay down as a postulate: All conceptions of God whichare incompatible with themovement of pure charity are false.

—Weil, Simone

The scientific attitude implies†the postulate of objectivityöthat is to say, the fundamental postulate that there is no plan; that there is no intention in the universe.

—Monod,Jacques