presuppose

verb

pre·​sup·​pose ˌprē-sə-ˈpōz 

presupposed; presupposing; presupposes

transitive verb

1

: to suppose beforehand

2

: to require as an antecedent in logic or fact

presupposition

(ˌ)prē-ˌsə-pə-ˈzi-shən 

noun

presuppositional

(ˌ)prē-ˌsə-pə-ˈzish-nəl 

-ˈzi-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• assume
• hypothecate
• hypothesize
• postulate
• premise
• presume
• say
• suppose

Examples of presuppose in a Sentence

The rule presupposes a need to restrict student access to the library.

the book presupposes its readers will already know something about the subject

Recent Examples on the Web

Democracy’s intersection with freedom presupposes that individuals within a republic would have a voice in how they are governed. —Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

This presupposes that what Goode is doing can actually be called a journalistic documentary as opposed to nonfiction entertainment whose events are at least partly catalyzed by him. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024

Those on the right, presupposing that the movie is an anti-Trump document, have railed against it. —Daniel D'addario, Variety, 19 Sep. 2024

The company's spike in valuation presupposes that a successful robotaxi business will generate profits with almost no overheads. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 6 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French presupposer, from Medieval Latin praesupponere (perfect indicative praesupposui), from Latin prae- + Medieval Latin supponere to suppose — more at suppose

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

presuppose

verb

pre·​sup·​pose ˌprē-sə-ˈpōz 

: to take something to be true : suppose ahead of time

the book presupposes its readers will know something about the subject

presupposition

(ˌ)prē-ˌsəp-ə-ˈzish-ən 

noun