postulate

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pos=tu=late

CIDE DICTIONARY

postulate, n. [L. postulatum a demand, request, prop. p. p. of postulare to demand, prob. a dim. of poscere to demand, prob. for porcscere; akin to G. forschen to search, investigate, Skr. prach to ask, and L. precari to pray: cf. F. postulat. See Pray.].

•  Something demanded or asserted; especially, a position or supposition assumed without proof, or one which is considered as self-evident; a truth to which assent may be demanded or challenged, without argument or evidence.  [1913 Webster]
•  The enunciation of a self-evident problem, in distinction from an axiom, which is the enunciation of a self-evident theorem.  [1913 Webster]

  "The distinction between a postulate and an axiom lies in this, -- that the latter is admitted to be self-evident, while the former may be agreed upon between two reasoners, and admitted by both, but not as proposition which it would be impossible to deny."  [1913 Webster]

postulate, a. 

 Postulated.  Hudibras.  [1913 Webster]

postulate, v. t. 

•  To beg, or assume without proof; as, to postulate conclusions.  [1913 Webster]
•  To take without express consent; to assume.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Byzantine emperors appear to have . . . postulated a sort of paramount supremacy over this nation."  [1913 Webster]
•  To invite earnestly; to solicit.  Bp. Burnet.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

postulate, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 (often foll. by that + clause) assume as a necessary condition, esp. as a basis for reasoning; take for granted.
2 claim.
3 (in ecclesiastical law) nominate or elect to a higher rank.
--n.
1 a thing postulated.
2 a fundamental prerequisite or condition.
3 Math. an assumption used as a basis for mathematical reasoning.

Derivative

postulation n.

Etymology

L postulare postulat- demand

THESAURUS

postulate

a priori principle, a priori truth, absolute fact, accepted fact, actual fact, admitted fact, advance, affirm, affirmation, apriorism, assert, assertion, assume, assumed position, assumption, avant-propos, aver, axiom, bald fact, bare fact, basis, breakthrough, bring before, bring forward, bring up, broach, brocard, brutal fact, call, categorical proposition, center, challenge, circumstance, claim, cold fact, commend to attention, conceded fact, conjecture, core, data, datum, demonstrable fact, dictate, dictum, elixir, empirical fact, essence, essential, established fact, exact, exordium, fact, fact of experience, first principles, flower, focus, foreword, formula, foundation, front matter, frontispiece, fundamental, gist, given fact, golden rule, gravamen, ground, guesswork, hard fact, heart, hypostasis, hypothesis, hypothesis ad hoc, indisputable fact, inescapable fact, inference, inner essence, innovation, introduce, introduction, kernel, launch, law, lay before, lay down, leap, lemma, major premise, make a motion, marrow, matter of fact, meat, minor premise, moot, move, naked fact, not guesswork, not opinion, nub, nucleus, nuts and bolts, offer a resolution, open up, overture, philosopheme, philosophical proposition, pith, plain, pose, posit, position, positive fact, postulation, postulatum, preamble, predicate, preface, prefer, prefix, prefixture, preliminary, prelude, premise, presume, presumption, presupposal, presupposition, principium, principle, proem, prolegomena, prolegomenon, prolepsis, prologue, propose, proposition, propositional function, propound, protasis, provable fact, put forth, put forward, put it to, quid, quiddity, quintessence, recommend, require, requisition, rule, salient fact, sap, self-evident fact, self-evident truth, set before, set forth, set of postulates, settled principle, significant fact, simple fact, sober fact, solicit, soul, spirit, start, statement, stubborn fact, stuff, submit, substance, suggest, sumption, supposal, supposing, supposition, surmise, the case, the nitty-gritty, theorem, thesis, truism, truth, truth table, truth-function, truth-value, undeniable fact, universal truth, verse, voluntary, well-known fact, working hypothesis

ROGET THESAURUS

postulate

Reasoning,

N reasoning ratiocination rationalism, dialectics, induction, generalization, discussion, comment, ventilation, inquiry, argumentation, controversy, debate, polemics, wrangling, contention, logomachy, disputation, disceptation, paper war, art of reasoning, logic, process of reasoning, train of reasoning, chain of reasoning, deduction, induction, abduction, synthesis, analysis, argument, case, plaidoyer, opening, lemma, proposition, terms, premises, postulate, data, starting point, principle, inference, prosyllogism, syllogism, enthymeme, sorites, dilemma, perilepsis, a priori reasoning, reductio ad absurdum, horns of a dilemma, argumentum ad hominem, comprehensive argument, empirema, epagoge, reasoner, logician, dialectician, disputant, controversialist, controvertist, wrangler, arguer, debater polemic, casuist, rationalist, scientist, eristic, logical sequence, good case, correct just reasoning, sound reasoning, valid reasoning, cogent reasoning, logical reasoning, forcible reasoning, persuasive reasoning, persuasory reasoning, consectary reasoning, conclusive, subtle reasoning, force of argument, strong point, strong argument, persuasive argument, arguments, reasons, pros and cons, reasoning, rationalistic, argumentative, controversial, dialectic, polemical, discursory, discursive, disputatious, Aristotelian, eristic, eristical, debatable, controvertible, logical, relevant, for, because, hence, whence, seeing that, since, sith, then thence so, for that reason, for this reason, for which reason, for as, inasmuch as, whereas, ex concesso, considering, in consideration of, therefore, wherefore, consequently, ergo, thus, accordingly, a fortiori, in conclusion, in fine, finally, after all, au bout du compt, on the whole, taking one thing with another, ab actu ad posse valet consecutio, per troppo dibatter la verita si perde, troppo disputare la verita fa errare.

Maxim

N maxim, aphorism, apothegm, apophthegm, dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb, sentence, mot, motto, word, byword, moral, phylactery, protasis, axiom, theorem, scholium, truism, postulate, first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition), reflection, conclusion, golden rule, principle, principia, profession of faith, settled principle, accepted principle, formula, accepted fact, received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim, true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying, aphoristic, proverbial, phylacteric, axiomatic, gnomic, as the saying goes, as the saying is, as they say.

Supposition

N supposition, assumption, assumed position, postulation, condition, presupposition, hypothesis, blue sky hypothesis, postulate, postulatum, theory, thesis, theorem, data, proposition, position, proposal, presumption, divination, conjecture, guess, guesswork, speculation, rough guess, shot, shot in the dark, conjecturality, surmise, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, estimate, approximation (nearness), inkling, suggestion, hint, intimation, notion, impression, bare supposition, vague supposition, loose supposition, loose suggestion, association of ideas, (analogy), metonym, metonymy, simile (metaphor), conceit, idea, thought, original idea, invention (imagination), supposing, given, mooted, postulatory, assumed, supposititious, suppositive, suppositious, gratuitous, speculative, conjectural, hypothetical, theoretical, academic, supposable, presumptive, putative, suppositional, suggestive, allusive, if, if so be, an, on the supposition, ex hypothesi, in the case, in the event of, quasi, as if, provided, perhaps, for aught one knows.