postulate 1 of 2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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postulate

2 of 2

verb

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
The reason, the authors of a new study postulate, has to do with light pollution. New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2025 Now, tangible results have emerged in a field replete with postulates and presumptions. Jenna Ahart, Quanta Magazine, 2 July 2025
Verb
Some have seen a purely strategic purpose in settlement, but others have postulated an intent to use the colony as a springboard for economic exploitation of the area. Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026 Fluorescence microscopy—a biologist’s window into the cell—had hit the diffraction limit of about 200 nanometers (or roughly half the wavelength of visible light), which had been postulated a century earlier by physicist Ernst Abbe. IEEE Spectrum, 13 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for postulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postulate
Noun
  • Choose clarity over assumption, and move forward with agreements that feel grounded, mutual, and realistic to maintain over time.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 May 2026
  • Ricketts has minor quibbles with some of the assumptions behind these projections.
    Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • As Mars pushes against Jupiter, the urge to say yes too quickly grows.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 4 May 2026
  • Given the risks and the uncertainty around all aspects of the war, Kashkari said the Fed may even have to raise rates.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • The adult world is studied and emulated in a manner that suggests praxis but no theory.
    Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • There is one theory that people may outlive their physical bodies but there may be a way to upload their consciousness into a digital realm where human existence could go on indefinitely.
    John Ramos, CBS News, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • Human operators continuously monitor the systems and can assume manual control when necessary.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
  • The aether, it was assumed, was the medium inherent to space that all objects, from comets to planets to stars, traveled through.
    Big Think, Big Think, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • The critical window hypothesis has emerged from re-analysis of WHI data itself, not from pharmaceutical research.
    Torie Bosch, STAT, 2 May 2026
  • Six months ago, people arguing that AI was a bubble were pointing to real-world facts, whereas people arguing against the bubble hypothesis were making speculative promises about the future.
    Rogé Karma, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026
Verb
  • Bristy, 27, who is presumed dead, went missing last week along with 27-year-old Zamil Limon, whose remains were found Friday on a bridge near Tampa.
    Cristian Benavides, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Abe told the judge that Allen has no prior arrests or convictions and is presumed innocent.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • As the nation restructures its economy away from fossil fuels, there are those who believe that valuable lessons can be learned from Desert Warrior to support filmmaking endeavors in the future.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 May 2026
  • Witnesses told police there were two men still inside who were believed to be armed, and officers saw one man crawl out of a window onto the roof while armed and then go back inside.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • They were allowed to spend seven days hypothesizing experiments and then the results were compared to what two human AI safety researchers had been able to do in a similar timeline.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Wiseman hypothesized that stronger magnetic fields may affect the brain, similar to how electrical stimulation of the angular gyrus can make one feel as if there is another person standing behind, mimicking one’s movements.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Apr. 2026

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“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulate. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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