postulate

postulate

See also: Postulate

English

WOTD – 18 September 2008

Etymology

From Medieval Latin postulāt- (“asked”), from the verb postulāre (“to ask”), from Latin postulō (“request”).

Pronunciation

Noun

• (UK) enPR: pŏsʹtyo͝o-lət IPA^(key): /ˈpɒstjʊlət/
• (US) enPR: pŏsʹchə-lət, pŏsʹchə-lāt', IPA^(key): /ˈpɑst͡ʃələt/, /ˈpɑst͡ʃəˌleɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pos‧tu‧late

Adjective

• (UK) enPR: pŏsʹtyo͝o-lət IPA^(key): /ˈpɒstjʊlət/
• (US) enPR: pŏsʹchə-lət, IPA^(key): /ˈpɑst͡ʃələt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pos‧tu‧late

Verb

• (UK) enPR: pŏsʹtyo͝o-lāt IPA^(key): /ˈpɒstjʊleɪt/
• (US) enPR: pŏsʹchə-lāt' IPA^(key): /ˈpɑst͡ʃəˌleɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pos‧tu‧late

Noun

postulate (plural postulates)

1. Something assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted, especially when used as a basis for an argument. Sometimes distinguished from axioms as being relevant to a particular science or context, rather than universally true, and following from other axioms rather than being an absolute assumption.
2. A fundamental element; a basic principle.
3. (logic) An axiom.
4. A requirement; a prerequisite.

Derived terms

• parallel postulate
• universal postulate

Translations

something assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted

Belarusian: пастула́т m (pastulát) Bulgarian: постула́т (bg) m (postulát) Chinese: Mandarin: 公設／公设 (zh) (gōngshè) Czech: postulát (cs) m Danish: postulat, påstand French: postulat (fr) m German: Postulat (de) n Greek: αξίωμα (el) n (axíoma) Irish: foshuíomh m Japanese: 公準 (ja) (こうじゅん, kōjun) Korean: 공준(公準) (gongjun) Norwegian: Bokmål: postulat n Portuguese: postulado (pt) m Russian: постула́т (ru) m (postulát) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: посту̀ла̄т m Roman: postùlāt (sh) m Tagalog: batayang palagay Ukrainian: постула́т (uk) m (postulát)

fundamental element; basic principle

Belarusian: пастула́т m (pastulát) Bulgarian: постула́т (bg) m (postulát) German: Postulat (de) n Norwegian: Bokmål: postulat n Portuguese: postulado (pt) m Russian: постула́т (ru) m (postulát) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: посту̀ла̄т m Roman: postùlāt (sh) m Ukrainian: постула́т (uk) m (postulát)

logic: an axiom

Belarusian: пастула́т m (pastulát) Dutch: postulaat (nl) n Esperanto: postulato Finnish: oletus (fi) French: postulat (fr) m German: Postulat (de) n, Axiom (de) n Greek: αξίωμα (el) n (axíoma) Portuguese: postulado (pt) m, axioma (pt) m Russian: постула́т (ru) m (postulát) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: посту̀ла̄т m Roman: postùlāt (sh) m Swedish: postulat (sv) n, axiom (sv) n Ukrainian: постула́т (uk) m (postulát)

requirement, prerequisite

Bulgarian: предпоста́вка (bg) f (predpostávka) German: Voraussetzung (de) f Greek: προϋπόθεση (el) f (proÿpóthesi) Russian: постула́т (ru) m (postulát) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: посту̀ла̄т m Roman: postùlāt (sh) m Swedish: förutsättning (sv) c

Adjective

postulate (not comparable)

1. Postulated.
   • 1662, [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge: University Press, 1905, OCLC 963614346:

     postulate Illation

Verb

postulate (third-person singular simple present postulates, present participle postulating, simple past and past participle postulated)

1. To assume as a truthful or accurate premise or axiom, especially as a basis of an argument.
   • 1883, Benedictus de Spinoza, translated by R. H. M. Elwes, Ethics, Part 3, Prop. XXII,

     But this pleasure or pain is postulated to come to us accompanied by the idea of an external cause; […]

   • 1911, Encyclopædia Britannica, "Infinite",

     [T]he attempt to arrive at a physical explanation of existence led the Ionian thinkers to postulate various primal elements or simply the infinite τὸ ἀπειρον.

2. (transitive, intransitive, Christianity, historical) To appoint or request one's appointment to an ecclesiastical office.
   • 1874, John Small (ed.), The Poetical Works of Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld, Vol 1, p. xvi

     [A]lthough Douglas was postulated to it [the Abbacy of Arbroath], and signed letters and papers under this designation his nomination […] was never completed.

3. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To request, demand or claim for oneself.

Derived terms

• postulation
• postulational

Translations

to assume as a premise

Bulgarian: приемам (bg) (priemam), предполагам (bg) (predpolagam) Finnish: postuloida French: postuler (fr) German: postulieren (de) Greek: αποφαίνομαι (el) (apofaínomai) Italian: postulare (it), presupporre (it), esprimere (it) Norwegian: postulere (no), forutsette (no) Portuguese: postular (pt) Swedish: postulera (sv)

to appoint to an ecclesiastic position

French: postuler (fr) Italian: postulare (it)

to request one's appointment to an ecclesiastical office

to demand or claim

Bulgarian: изисквам (bg) (iziskvam) French: postuler (fr) Greek: αξιώνω (el) (axióno), απαιτώ (el) (apaitó) Latin: postulō Portuguese: postular (pt)

Anagrams

• attopulse

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Italian

Verb

postulate

1. inflection of postulare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Participle

postulate f pl

1. feminine plural of postulato

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Latin

Verb

postulāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of postulō