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
  • Friedman's research tested these assumptions directly, and nearly all of them failed.
    Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But the photos also struck a chord as a defiant spin on assumptions and expectations for women at 60.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Other areas of concern are the library system's self-check-out kiosks, instances in which minor teenagers handle materials while working or volunteering at a branch, and platforms for loaning electronic materials, Adams said.
    Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
  • If the show is now being repositioned as just for people who are fresh out of design school or who have made just one or two gowns before (like, cough, our beloved Jude), then say that.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The lipstick index is an economic theory holding that sales of affordable discretionary spending or luxuries skyrocket when consumers believe an economic recession is impending.
    Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Yet Turing’s theory of computation wasn’t really about computers, at least not at first.
    Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Taylor has quickly assumed a leadership role, with her coach using her as an example of expectations.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Most of the people who are found dead there every year are assumed to be migrants, Hess says, because of the desert’s location on the southern border.
    Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The elaborate decorations could support that hypothesis, officials said.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Their hypothesis was confirmed when footage of a Ying Yang Twins performance went viral in 2025.
    Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Society perceives fathers who kill to be evil, but certain mothers appear to be presumed mentally ill.
    Dr. Susan Hatters Friedman, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Throwing a stiff arm on Patrick Mahomes’ presumed flavor of choice is hardly tasteless.
    Jess Bryant, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • According to an affidavit, law enforcement officials believe Tuz-Noh has ties to a drug trafficking organization.
    City News Service, Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Lamborghini Murciélago believed to be the marque’s final V-12 with a manual is headed to auction.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The study hypothesized that the sickle was added before the body fully decomposed since no joints were detached or displaced, as archaeologists would expect if a grave were to be disturbed after the body became a skeleton.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Dozier hypothesized that rapidly dividing cells have a scent that dogs can smell.
    Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulate. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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