presupposition

noun

Definition of presuppositionnext
as in assumption
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 & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for presupposition
  1. assumption
  2. theory
Noun
  • These failures stemmed not from new vulnerabilities, but from basic security flaws like weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints, and reliance on assumptions over robust controls.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Your assumption that your pension isn’t safe may not be true, and a good attorney may be able to help protect it.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of assumption
Noun
  • What began as a weeklong music camp eventually turned into year-round educational programming, where students learn songwriting, music theory, recording and live performance before showcasing their work on the festival stage.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • The branzino – buttery, substantial and just the right amount of briny – is the most tangible, tasty expression of the theory.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of theory
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.

Browse Nearby Words

presupposing
presupposition
presuppositions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Presupposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presupposition. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of mitigate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All