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
That postulate would justify racial quotas or preferences to remedy racial discrimination uncorroborated by credible evidence. Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026 Another postulates that sleep removes waste from the brain. Shayla Love, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
Scientists postulate that dolphins’ social nature and seeming empathy can release chemical endorphins in people who interact with them, creating a tremendous feeling of well-being. David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026 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 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
  • The New York Knicks took care of business, to say the least, against the Philadelphia 76ers with another utter demolition on the road in a close-out game.
    Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 May 2026
  • Her foundation said she has been granted a prison sentence suspension on bail.
    Sarah el Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • But with the arrival of the next course, bread and butter, I was forced to revise my theory.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 10 May 2026
  • The landfill theory made some birding enthusiasts uneasy and prompted some authorities, locals and others to defend Ushuaia, a city of nearly 85,000 that draws tourists to its Antarctic cruise ships and abundant, watchworthy bird population.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 10 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
  • Though Descalzo cautioned that the possible role of saunas in transmission is still just a hypothesis, the bacterium is known to spread more efficiently in humid settings.
    Helen Branswell, STAT, 11 May 2026
  • The hypothesis was that if the aye-aye relied purely on hollow resonance, then the filling inside the cavities should have disrupted its ability to identify them.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Verb
  • Before Richardson’s return, Leonard had been the Colts’ presumed backup after starting the 2025 regular-season finale while Jones and Richardson, who suffered an orbital fracture last October, were sidelined.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 11 May 2026
  • But those tallies presume past voting patterns hold in November.
    David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • Investigators believe Smart’s body may have been moved multiple times.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
  • Another casting director, Jen Rudin, believes that Baldoni will work again, but that being associated with running a contentious set could present a mark against him, at least in the short term.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • One theory that has popped up is that the virus originated from a bird watching landfill in Ushuaia, located at the southern tip of Argentina, where a couple who were infected with the virus visited, Argentinian officials first hypothesized.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 May 2026
  • Kiefer is optimistic that their approach could help solve problems like Shor’algorithm with just 10,000 qubits rather than millions that researchers had previously hypothesized.
    Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 12 May 2026

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“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulate. Accessed 13 May. 2026.

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