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

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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
Euclid’s postulates for geometry; various schemes for standardizing arithmetic. — Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026 That postulate would justify racial quotas or preferences to remedy racial discrimination uncorroborated by credible evidence. — Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Now, building on their previous research, the Curtin and Sheffield Hallam University scientists postulate that the movement of the altar stone may have involved a combination of human and glacial transport. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 5 June 2026 There’s no point postulating a soul that might rise beyond the reach of artificial illumination, because the very vault of the Universe is inscribed with radiant diagrams. — Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for postulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postulate
Noun
  • And archaeologists not involved with the study are wary of making assumptions as to why ancient people were attracted to betel nuts.
    — Pien Huang, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Both our indignation when the wicked flourish and our sorrow when the righteous suffer have their source in this assumption.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • With all that said, there are still a lot of pleasures in this production that remain failsafe, even after the ride toward a way-too-inevitable outcome is firmly on its tracks.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • On the living-room table was a giant bowl filled with cigarette butts, which Beck said was for an art project.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • During cross-examination on Tuesday, Kosowski asked a detective to lift a cart with a person onto a desk in an attempt to disprove the state's theory, which the judge did not allow.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The quest for real-life warp drives Einstein taught us that objects with mass can't accelerate through space beyond the speed of light, according to his theory of special relativity.
    — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • What happened in Clancy’s case appears to be similar, assuming the other jurors’ account — and not the holdout’s — is accurate.
    — Monu Bedi, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t assume the need for space means something is wrong with the relationship.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • That was when the police began to seriously consider the hypothesis that the blood was entering the washing machine from somewhere else.
    — Elvira Navarro, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This kind of attempt to observe without tackling with hypotheses and conjectures and theories, right?
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • These individuals with mental health disabilities have not been convicted and are presumed innocent.
    — Jim DeFede, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The dual-national concept is a complicated one, and in fact, many of the most talented American players who are presumed to be USMNT-bound are also eligible for other countries.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Kohs and their friends believe schooling is a route to class ascension.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Psychologists have long documented what happens when people believe they are being watched.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Researchers have hypothesized that quantum effects are at play in a variety of biological phenomena — including the magnetic sense that helps birds navigate and, more speculatively, human consciousness — with varying degrees of empirical support.
    — Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Certainly, the ancient Greeks appreciated symmetry and precision in their architecture; it’s even been hypothesized that this symmetry was considered divine and thus represented religious dedication to the space.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

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“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulate. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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