postulate
verb
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 postulate 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, or that a thunderstorm is imminent given the cumulonimbus building on the horizon. This “hypothesize” sense of postulate emerged in the early 18th century, but the verb first appeared in English centuries earlier in ecclesiastical contexts, as recorded in our Unabridged dictionary. To postulate someone, according to this sense of the word, was to request that a higher authority in the church sanction their promotion even though they would otherwise be disqualified by church rules or regulations.
Examples of postulate in a Sentence
Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Hiring an attorney who is more commonly aligned against big companies prompted at least one observer to postulate that Paramount could be angling to remove a big name from the legal chessboard to prevent him from joining the other side, in the vein of TV mob boss Tony Soprano.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Allen’s exhibitions have often been accompanied by press releases that do heavy interpretive lifting, postulating formal qualities that don’t always match what’s on view.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for postulate
Cite this Entry
“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/postulate. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
postulate
1 of 2 verb
postulate
2 of 2 noun
Medical Definition
postulate
noun
