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
Relevance
as in to say
to take as true or as a fact without actual proof
postulates that all people are born with certain rights that can never be taken away from them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of postulate
New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2025
Now, tangible results have emerged in a field replete with postulates and presumptions.
—Jenna Ahart, Quanta Magazine, 2 July 2025
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
Fluorescence microscopy—a biologist’s window into the cell—had hit the diffraction limit of about 200 nanometers (or roughly half the wavelength of visible light), which had been postulated a century earlier by physicist Ernst Abbe.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for postulate
Noun
The reason, the authors of a new study postulate, has to do with light pollution.
—New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2025
Now, tangible results have emerged in a field replete with postulates and presumptions.
—Jenna Ahart, Quanta Magazine, 2 July 2025
Verb
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
Fluorescence microscopy—a biologist’s window into the cell—had hit the diffraction limit of about 200 nanometers (or roughly half the wavelength of visible light), which had been postulated a century earlier by physicist Ernst Abbe.
—IEEE Spectrum, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for postulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postulate
Noun
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Over time, this creates a foundation for a feedback loop in which incentive programs can be designed and optimized based on measurable outcomes rather than assumptions.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The important thing is that infinity is no longer the default assumption.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Seeking offense, New York plans to designate Tommy Pham for assignment and has agreed to a major league contract with Austin Slater, a pair of people familiar with the move said, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the decisions were not announced.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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Airport Authority has hired investment banks for the issuance and plans to price the multi‑tranche deal as early as Tuesday, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private matters.—
Janice Huang,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Stirs some theories, too, about said coach’s real feelings about the pick.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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In a new book, Geoff Kelly traces how the artworks moved through criminal networks, where violence took the lives of key suspects and witnesses, and challenges long-circulating theories by revisiting key details.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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California’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 assumes a steep drop in driving.—
Aaron Cantú,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Many programs rely on standardized intervention lists, assuming similar outcomes across suppliers when every facility operates under its own set of constraints, meaning what succeeds in one place could prove a bust in another.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To test their hypothesis, researchers transplanted a second heart into mice.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
24 Apr. 2026
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Our goal was to better test the hypothesis of an inborn gender difference in attention to, or interest in, other people.—
Lise Eliot,
The Conversation,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bristy, 27, who is presumed dead, went missing last week along with 27-year-old Zamil Limon, whose remains were found Friday on a bridge near Tampa.—
Cristian Benavides,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Abe told the judge that Allen has no prior arrests or convictions and is presumed innocent.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There is the lamb-like dreamer, Wesley So, and the trollish Hikaru Nakamura, who believes that his unprecedented success as a streamer has secured him a greater legacy than any prestigious chess title would.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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The University of Massachusetts poll, fielded among 1,000 Americans, found 74% believe there are more things uniting them than dividing them.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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They were allowed to spend seven days hypothesizing experiments and then the results were compared to what two human AI safety researchers had been able to do in a similar timeline.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Wiseman hypothesized that stronger magnetic fields may affect the brain, similar to how electrical stimulation of the angular gyrus can make one feel as if there is another person standing behind, mimicking one’s movements.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulate. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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