pos·tu·late
(pŏśchə-lāt́)
[Medieval Latin postulāre, postulāt-, to nominate to a bishopric, to assume, from Latin, to request.]
transitive verb: -lat·ed, -lat·ing, -lates.
- To make claim for; demand.
- To assume or assert the truth, reality, or necessity of, especially as a basis of an argument.
- To assume as a premise or axiom; take for granted. See synonyms at presume
noun
- Something assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted, especially when used as a basis for an argument: “the postulate that there is little moral difference between the superpowers” (Henry A. Kissinger)
- A fundamental element; a basic principle.
- Mathematics An axiom.
- A requirement; a prerequisite.
derivatives
- pośtu·látion
- noun