MEANING
to propose or assume something as a starting point for reasoning
Use it for
Words that belong together
- postulate a mechanism
- postulate the existence of
- postulate a relationship
On the page
The theory postulates a link between trust and cooperation.
The authors postulate the existence of an unobserved process.
We need not postulate a new cause when the known mechanism is sufficient.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- postulate / postulates
- Past tense
- postulated
- Past participle
- postulated
- Present participle
- postulating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- postulate / postulates
- Present continuous
- am/is/are postulating
- Present perfect
- have/has postulated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been postulating
- Past
- postulated
- Past continuous
- was/were postulating
- Past perfect
- had postulated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been postulating
- Future
- will postulate / postulates
- Future continuous
- will be postulating
- Future perfect
- will have postulated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been postulating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary curation section: Academic. A postulate is not necessarily a demonstrated fact. Distinguish a working assumption from a tested conclusion. postulate; postulates; postulated; postulated; postulating. Related noun: postulate; plural postulates.
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