postulate

1 of 2

verb

pos·​tu·​late ˈpäs-chə-ˌlāt 

postulated; postulating

transitive verb

1

: demand, claim

2

a

: to assume or claim as true, existent, or necessary : depend upon or start from the postulate of

b

: to assume as a postulate or axiom (as in logic or mathematics)

postulation

ˌpäs-chə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

postulational

ˌpäs-chə-ˈlā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

postulate

2 of 2

noun

pos·​tu·​late ˈpäs-chə-lət 

-ˌlāt

1

: a hypothesis advanced as an essential presupposition, condition, or premise of a train of reasoning

2

: axiom sense 2

Did you know?

When you postulate an idea or theory you suggest that it is true especially for the purposes of an argument or discussion. The word is mostly at home in formal and academic contexts, but don’t let that stop you from postulating, for example, that takeout for dinner makes sense given the cook’s delayed return home from work. The word postulate also functions as a noun referring to something that’s been postulated, as in “a theory based on disputed postulates.” Both verb and noun have their source in Latin postulare, meaning "to assume."

Synonyms

Verb

• assume
• hypothecate
• hypothesize
• premise
• presume
• presuppose
• say
• suppose

Noun

• assumption
• given
• hypothetical
• if
• premise
• premiss
• presumption
• presupposition
• supposition

Examples of postulate in a Sentence

Verb

Scientists have postulated the existence of water on the planet.

postulates that all people are born with certain rights that can never be taken away from them

Noun

Einstein's theory of relativity was deduced from two postulates.

one of the postulates that the true agnostic rejects is the assumption that it is even possible for us to know whether God exists

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

During an interview with NPR back in 2017, Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D., professor of psychology at San Diego State University, postulated the theory that the influx of smartphone usage in 2012 had a direct impact on the rise of loneliness. —Colleen Batchelder, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025

The focus this time is once again on the mental health domain and involves a close exploration of using generative AI to diagnose the presence of schizophrenia and then postulate a long-term prognosis of what future mental health outcomes will arise for the person so diagnosed. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Noun

Also called Euclid’s fifth postulate, this rule tells us the following: Suppose you’re given a line. —Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 6 Dec. 2023

In the 1800s, Bertrand’s postulate showed that for any n>3, there is always a prime number between n and 2n. —Quanta Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin postulatus, past participle of postulare; akin to Latin poscere to ask, Old High German forscōn to search, Sanskrit pṛcchati he asks — more at pray

Noun

Medieval Latin postulatum, from neuter of postulatus, past participle of postulare to assume, from Latin, to demand

First Known Use

Verb

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for postulate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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Kids Definition

postulate

1 of 2 verb

pos·​tu·​late ˈpäs-chə-ˌlāt 

postulated; postulating

: to claim as true : assume as a postulate

postulates that all people are created equal

postulate

2 of 2 noun

pos·​tu·​late ˈpäs-chə-lət 

-ˌlāt

: a statement or claim assumed to be true especially as the basis of a process of reasoning

Medical Definition

postulate

noun

pos·​tu·​late ˈpäs-chə-lət, -ˌlāt 

: a hypothesis advanced as an essential presupposition, condition, or premise of a train of reasoning see koch's postulates