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

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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
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
Based on their findings, researchers postulate that Homo sapiens reacted better to lead exposure evolutionarily than Neanderthals, a species that were close relatives to Homo sapiens and that went extinct around 40,000 years ago. Mason Leath, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025 One of the theories postulates that the ribbon represents a group of particles that somehow leaked from the heliosphere and bounced around interstellar space before returning to the Solar System. Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for postulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for postulate
Noun
  • Some facts could begin to emerge around a situation that was mired in assumptions or unknown elements.
    Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The team’s findings challenge long-standing assumptions about how vibrational images represent atomic motion, and offer a more accurate way to interpret data from high-resolution spectroscopic tools.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Conrad wasn’t sure how football fans would react but said most people eagerly accepted a towel.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Key Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa was arrested by heavily armed men on Sunday night, his supporters said, just hours after he had been released from a jail where he was held as a political prisoner.
    Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Such theories were met with some skepticism by trade researchers at the time, and not all of the predictions have come true.
    Josh Ederington, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
  • As the search continues with no suspects or persons of interest, posts across Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook and YouTube have put millions of eyeballs on tips and theories surrounding her disappearance.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Until recently, the markets had assumed that companies would be buoyed by the massive amount of capex (capital expenditure) going into AI, and that AI would generate new efficiencies and higher productivity that would ultimately result in higher revenues and earnings per share.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • In the past, scientists had assumed that the ability to pretend and consider multiple realities was unique to humans.
    Evan Bush, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • If multiple hypotheses do not explain the data equally well, then the one that explains the data more accurately and comprehensively is superior.
    Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
  • If there are answers to these questions, or informed hypotheses, this biography does not provide them.
    Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • It was widely presumed as a matter of faith that a model’s effectiveness was proportional to its mystery.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
  • All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The actor believed the spot was caused by his lymphoma, but later found out the tumor was actually unrelated.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
  • That was believed to be just the first and second time that a parent was held criminally responsible for a mass school shooting committed by their child.
    Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The researchers hypothesize that the sunbirds on the mainland might have dwindled at some point in the last few million years, and such a decline may have prompted the lipstick vines to evolve and branch out to other pollinators.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Interestingly, another basin recently discovered in Gabii showed structural similarities, leading archaeologists to hypothesize that these pools may have served a sacred purpose.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Jan. 2026

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“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulate. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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