posit

verb

pos·​it ˈpä-zət How to pronounce posit (audio)
posited ˈpä-zə-təd How to pronounce posit (audio)
ˈpäz-təd
; positing ˈpä-zə-tiŋ How to pronounce posit (audio)
ˈpäz-tiŋ

transitive verb

1
: to dispose or set firmly : fix
2
: to assume or affirm the existence of : postulate
3
: to propose as an explanation : suggest

Examples of posit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet Murderbot posits that a machine capable of having its own wants and beliefs wouldn’t necessarily align with the people around it. Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 5 July 2025 Some of the more implausible and disputed theories posit that the flight was part of a secret spy mission, that Earhart assumed another identity or that Earhart and Noonan were captured by a foreign government. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 4 July 2025 Like Newton’s laws of the physical world, the final version of the Declaration posits a natural law of the political world: people will always seek new forms of government to protect their rights. Time, 1 July 2025 The team posited two possible explanations for the formation of this mini-halo. Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for posit

Word History

Etymology

Latin positus, past participle of ponere

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of posit was in 1647

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Cite this Entry

“Posit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posit. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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