postulates 1 of 2

noun

plural of postulate
as in assumptions
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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postulates

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of postulate
as in assumes
to take as true or as a fact without actual proof postulates that all people are born with certain rights that can never be taken away from them

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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 postulates
Noun
Not really Dagmar Bruss, professor and Head of the Quantum Information Theory group at HHU, and her doctoral researcher, Pedro Barrios Hita, conducted a new analysis of the postulates used in the 2021 paper and found one to be too restrictive. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 22 June 2026 Another postulates that sleep removes waste from the brain. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
One of the theories postulates that the ribbon represents a group of particles that somehow leaked from the heliosphere and bounced around interstellar space before returning to the Solar System. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postulates
  1. assumptions
  2. assumes
  3. theories
  4. says
  5. hypotheses
  6. presumes
  7. believes
  8. hypothesizes
Noun
  • These outsiders, like executives or academics from different fields, offer crucial external perspectives, unburdened by internal assumptions or politics.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The company says that mission demonstrated that data center-grade computing hardware could operate in orbit, where conventional assumptions about cooling, radiation and power management no longer apply.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of assumptions
Verb
  • And although Engwe advertises a 55-mile maximum range, that figure assumes ideal conditions.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The committee’s analysis assumes Trump continued to hold the positions disclosed at the end of last year.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of assumes
Noun
  • These theories spreading online, one expert says, stem from people’s struggles to find a fulfilling explanation for what has happened.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • DeRenne, the hitting coach for the Triple-A Durham Bulls, would help test theories for his father, Coop, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Hawaii.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of theories
Verb
  • The cult member says some predictably culty things about how Thom doesn’t need his father or his friends for guidance.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine says goods sold by the company include equipment and technical components that are used by the Russian military.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of says
Noun
  • The models have to suss them out by taking actions in the game, seeing what happens, forming hypotheses, and then taking more actions to test those theories.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Microsoft is already deploying autonomous threat-detection capabilities capable of continuously investigating incidents, developing hypotheses, gathering supporting evidence and identifying malicious activity that traditional processes can miss.
    — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypotheses
Verb
  • The Hoodoo tradition presumes a belief in a supernatural or spirit world that can be called upon for assistance, often through charms and incantations.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The United States’ triumph in the Cold War also helped shape a strategic culture in Washington that presumes setting expansive goals such as nation building and regime change is both possible and desirable.
    — Emma Ashford, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of presumes
Verb
  • Max Fondren, president of the ICEBreakers student group, said the organization believes the university's partnership with immigration authorities could negatively affect students.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Difficult People began during the Obama era, a context Klausner believes matters when people call the series prophetic.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of believes
Verb
  • The study hypothesizes that the supergiant reversion may trigger a cool-down period.
    — Jay Kakade July 23, Refractor, 23 July 2026
  • The team hypothesizes that the bats anchored themselves to landmarks in their environment, such as the coastline, the experimenters’ tents, and their perches.
    — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of hypothesizes

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Cite this Entry

“Postulates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulates. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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