presupposition

something taken as being true or factual and used as a starting point for a course of action or reasoning the cynic's presupposition that everyone acts out of purely selfish motives Synonyms given, hypothetical, if, postulate, premise (also premiss), presumption, assumption, suppositionRelated Words hypothesis, proposition, theory, thesis; axiom, truism, verity; belief, canon, doctrine, dogma, gospel, law; precept, principle, rule, standard, tenet; basis, foundation, ground; conclusion, deduction, inference; affirmation, assertion, avouchment, declaration; dictum, ipse dixit