POSTULATE Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

postulate 1 of 2

noun

ˈpäs-chə-lət

Definition of postulate

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

ˈpäs-chə-ˌlāt

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

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

Euclid’s postulates for geometry; various schemes for standardizing arithmetic. — Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026 That postulate would justify racial quotas or preferences to remedy racial discrimination uncorroborated by credible evidence. — Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026

Verb

Now, building on their previous research, the Curtin and Sheffield Hallam University scientists postulate that the movement of the altar stone may have involved a combination of human and glacial transport. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 5 June 2026 There’s no point postulating a soul that might rise beyond the reach of artificial illumination, because the very vault of the Universe is inscribed with radiant diagrams. — Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for postulate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for postulate

Noun

The alternative is to allow each side’s strategy to reinforce the other’s worst assumptions until escalation begins to look less like a choice than an inevitability.

— Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Bareilles is mourning a few things — the deaths of close friends, dreams of easy fertility, assumptions of female autonomy, the American dream — but the music soars, more often than not.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of assumption

Verb

Subramanyam said his calls were monitored between March and May, noting that at the time the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was pushing for former Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
If your dishwasher has an upper third rack for utensils, Sala says to lay knives and cutlery there to avoid safety hazards and free up space in the silverware caddy.

— Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of say

Noun

The lipstick index is an economic theory holding that sales of affordable discretionary spending or luxuries skyrocket when consumers believe an economic recession is impending.

— Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
Yet Turing’s theory of computation wasn’t really about computers, at least not at first.

— Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of theory

Verb

Goldman’s model assumes SMIC will add between 30,000 and 50,000 advanced-node wafers in monthly capacity each year from 2026 through 2031.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Golden Tempo, meanwhile, assumed his position near the back of the field as his deep closing style has delivered huge glory in the past.

— Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of assume

Noun

Until then, readers should take these issues as interesting hypotheses and case discussions.

— Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Data from the Forest Service tentatively confirms Finch’s hypothesis, suggesting that kudzu occupies around 227,000 acres of Southern land, just a small fraction of the millions of acres it has been said to cover.

— The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of hypothesis

Verb

Still other explanations presume that the gods’ artistic representations in ritual settings are the basis of the meaning of their multiform appearances.

— Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
The group presumes the deal would need approval from Chicago’s City Council as well.

— Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of presume

Verb

Flowers, who has been sidelined from practice in recent days, is believed to be dealing with a minor hamstring injury.

— Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Lamas claimed that Jackie believed that there was a link between her husband’s death and that of Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of believe

Verb

In his treatise, Ohno hypothesized that all vertebrate genomes contained evidence of an ancient genome duplication event.

— Carrie Arnold Contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026
The study hypothesized that the sickle was added before the body fully decomposed since no joints were detached or displaced, as archaeologists would expect if a grave were to be disturbed after the body became a skeleton.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of hypothesize

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postscripts

postulate

postulated

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“Postulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/postulate. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of postulate

noun

verb

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