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
  • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ended the assumption that energy infrastructure could be insulated from geopolitics.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Zahir Islam, PhD, a physicist at ANL, and co-author of the study, said the finding challenges a common assumption in microelectronics that the substrate beneath a thin film simply acts as a passive support.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Those are a lot of big promises, but hundreds of shoppers say Lancôme’s Idôle 3 Serum Supertint Skin Tint delivers.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Anderson said those households are now choosing items with more protein, and those that give consumers greater control over portion size.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Contrary to the traditional labor theory of value, which calculates the value of a good or service through the amount of labor required to produce it, Poliks and Trillo posit latency and delay to be the true sources of value.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Such questions are critical to a long-standing puzzle of percolation theory, a subfield of probability theory focused on the permeability of networks.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The organization cannot assume the same roster will suddenly produce a different result, especially after enduring a franchise-record losing streak.
    — Brandon Liguori, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Strycova won three titles with Czechia as a player before assuming the captaincy this year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Earlier studies have pointed to different hypotheses about the formation of the lunar magnetic field.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • An anatomical observation had generated a therapeutic hypothesis.
    — Subramaniam C. Krishnan, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In broad terms, an indefinite employment relationship is presumed to be terminable at the will of either party.
    — William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Lui remains presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Today, scientists believe these subterranean formations could offer a reliable solution to the clean energy transition’s biggest storage challenge.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Russia took a step toward that future in August, when three Ukrainian civilians outside a gas station in Zaporizhzhia were killed by a drone believed to have been fully guided by AI.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 28 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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