postulate 1 of 2

Definition of postulatenext
as in assumption
something taken as being true or factual and used as a starting point for a course of action or reasoning one of the postulates that the true agnostic rejects is the assumption that it is even possible for us to know whether God exists

Synonyms & Similar Words

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postulate

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of postulate
Noun
That postulate would justify racial quotas or preferences to remedy racial discrimination uncorroborated by credible evidence. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026 Another postulates that sleep removes waste from the brain. Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
In 1905, Einstein had postulated that the speed of light is constant in a vacuum and independent of the observer’s motion. Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026 That has led some scientists to postulate that dark matter could be partially or wholly accounted for by primordial black holes. Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for postulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postulate
Noun
  • The working assumption — correctly — is that anything digital taken into China should be treated as potentially compromised.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
  • There is an assumption of arrogance, of high expectations, of going into every major tournament presuming their team will win it.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • The two sisters entered the restaurant, ran behind the counter and attacked the 23-year-old employee after they were given a wrong order, prosecutors said, according to the outlet.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
  • Iran, meanwhile, said the agreement included the immediate lifting of the US blockade.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • One of the most influential explanations for why desire thrives (or declines) over time comes from self-expansion theory, developed by psychologists Arthur and Elaine Aron, which argues that humans are motivated to grow, learn and broaden their sense of self throughout life.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • Had readers attacked the numbers and ignored the character question, the theory would have been wrong.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • The anchor-and-attach approach would use a claw-and-spike mechanism at the tip of the robotic arm to grapple and anchor to the asteroid—assuming, that is, that Kamo‘oalewa’s surface is sturdy and relatively obstacle-free.
    Andrew Jones, Scientific American, 11 June 2026
  • Melynda assumed this was just an excuse.
    Adeline Goss, New Yorker, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • The memory consolidation hypothesis holds that sleep talking may be a byproduct, or even a signal, of the brain’s nightly memory processing.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • Whether that trust holds, at scale, is an untested hypothesis.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • These presumed long-shot performers are entered by their reps or themselves every year.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 June 2026
  • This act of resistance is considered intrinsically valuable because it is presumed always to result in a reward.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • All the burglaries, police now believe, were the work of an international crime ring that employed South American thieves to target dozens of homes of wealthy families in America’s Heartland.
    Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Can anyone believe anything that Sloppy Chris says?
    Zach LaChance, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The researchers hypothesized that some of those surfaces would be more catalytically active than others.
    Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
  • Others hypothesize that increasingly intelligent AI systems could help terrorists design and deploy bioweapons.
    Jared Perlo, NBC news, 9 June 2026

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“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulate. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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