Postulate
verb/nounBase postulate · Past postulated · Past Participle postulated · Present Participle postulating · 3rd person postulates
Definition
1. (verb) To suggest or assume that something is true as a starting point for discussion or reasoning, especially without proof yet.
2. (noun) A statement or idea that is accepted as true without proof, used as the basis for a theory or argument.
2. (noun) A statement or idea that is accepted as true without proof, used as the basis for a theory or argument.
Context Alive
You're watching a documentary about the universe. A scientist says that we can only see about five percent of what's out there. The rest is dark matter and dark energy. She postulates that there could be entire structures in space that we'll never be able to detect. It sounds crazy but she explains it so calmly that you start thinking maybe she's right.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 To Suggest Something Is True (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about putting forward an idea or theory, especially when you don't have full proof yet. Imagine a detective looking at a crime scene and saying "I think the attacker came in through the back door" — they're postulating based on the clues they have so far. This is describing the act of proposing something as likely or possible so that people can discuss it or test it. You might hear "scientists postulate that life could exist on other planets" in a documentary about space, or someone could say "he postulated a connection between diet and mood" about a researcher presenting a new idea. Or think about a historian who reads old letters and postulates that two historical figures actually knew each other, even though there's no direct record of it. The word suggests an educated guess — not random, but not fully proven either.
✏️ Postulate sounds academic and serious. In everyday conversation, people would say "suggest" or "assume" instead. You'll mostly hear postulate in science, philosophy, or formal debates. If someone uses it in casual talk, they're probably being a bit playful or showing off.
2 A Basic Assumption (Noun) Common ▼
This meaning is about a statement that is accepted as true without needing proof — something you build other ideas on top of. Imagine a maths teacher saying "let's start with the basic postulate that two parallel lines never meet" — that's a rule everyone agrees on so they can move forward. This is describing a foundational idea that doesn't need to be proven because it's accepted as a starting point. You might read "one of Einstein's postulates was that the speed of light is constant" in a physics textbook, or someone could say "the postulate behind this theory is that all people are rational" about an economic model. Or think about a debate where someone says "your whole argument falls apart if we reject that basic postulate" — they're challenging the foundation. The word suggests something fundamental that everything else depends on.
✏️ As a noun, postulate is close to "assumption" or "premise," but it sounds more scientific. In geometry, postulates are the basic rules you accept without proof — like "a straight line can be drawn between any two points." Knowing this makes the word much easier to understand when you meet it in other contexts.
Common Patterns
Verb Patterns
postulate + that + clause → suggesting something is true as a theory
The researchers postulated that stress was the main cause of the illness.
postulate + noun → proposing an idea or concept
Darwin postulated a theory of evolution that changed science forever.
it is/was + postulated + that → a formal passive way to introduce a theory
It has been postulated that the brain can reorganise itself after injury.
Noun Patterns
a/the + postulate + of + noun → a foundational idea within a field or theory
One of the key postulates of geometry is that a line has no width.
basic/fundamental + postulate → a core assumption that other ideas are built on
The fundamental postulate of this model is that markets always correct themselves.
accept/reject + a postulate → to agree or disagree with a basic assumption
If you reject that postulate, the entire argument collapses.
Collocations
10 collocationspostulate a theory
to propose a theory as a starting point
postulate that
to suggest that something may be true
basic postulate
a core assumption that doesn't need proving
fundamental postulate
the most important underlying assumption
scientific postulate
an assumption used as a starting point in science
accept a postulate
to agree with a basic assumption
reject a postulate
to disagree with a foundational idea
postulate the existence of
to suggest that something exists without full proof
key postulate
an important assumption within an argument or theory
widely postulated
an idea that many people have suggested
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
Scientists have postulated that there may be billions of Earth-like planets in our galaxy.
Researchers have suggested that billions of planets similar to Earth could exist in our galaxy.
2
She postulated a link between childhood experiences and adult behaviour.
She proposed a connection between what people go through as children and how they act as adults.
3
The basic postulate of his argument is that people always act in their own interest.
The core assumption behind his argument is that everyone always does what benefits them.
4
It was postulated in the 1920s that the universe is expanding.
The idea that the universe is getting bigger was first proposed in the 1920s.
5
If we accept this postulate, then the rest of the theory makes perfect sense.
If we agree with this basic assumption, everything else in the theory follows logically.
6
The philosopher postulated that true freedom requires responsibility.
The philosopher suggested that real freedom only comes with accepting responsibility.
7
One of Euclid's postulates is that a circle can be drawn with any centre and radius.
One of Euclid's basic rules is that you can draw a circle from any point with any size.
8
Researchers postulated that the virus had been spreading for months before it was detected.
Researchers suggested that the virus had already been moving through the population for months before anyone noticed.
9
His postulate was simple: if you treat people well, they will work harder.
His basic assumption was straightforward: be good to people and they'll put in more effort.
10
Several theories have been postulated to explain why dinosaurs went extinct.
Multiple ideas have been proposed to explain the disappearance of the dinosaurs.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymshypothesise
very close in meaning — slightly more focused on forming a testable idea in science
propose
more general and less formal — used in everyday conversation too
assume
simpler and more common — doesn't carry the academic weight of postulate
Antonymsprove
to show something is definitely true, not just suggested
disprove
to show that a theory or assumption is wrong
deny
to reject an idea rather than propose it