postulate

See also: Postulate

English

WOTD – 18 September 2008

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 (General Australian):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pos‧tu‧late

Etymology 1

From Latin postulātus or Latin postulātum. Alternatively, a substantivation of Latin postulātus, perfect passive participle of postulō (“to request”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix) for more. Compare French postulat.

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

• Bertrand's postulate
• Hebb's postulate
• Koch's postulate
• 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

Etymology 2

From Latin postulātus, perfect passive participle of postulō (“request”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more. Compare French postuler.

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, Infinite, Encyclopædia Britannica:

     [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. (ambitransitive, Christianity, historical) To appoint or request one's appointment to an ecclesiastical office.
   • 1874, John Small, editor, The Poetical Works of Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld, volume 1, page 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. (ambitransitive, 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)

Etymology 3

From Latin postulātus, perfect passive participle of postulō (“request”), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.

Adjective

postulate (not comparable)

1. Postulated.
   • 1662 (indicated as 1663), [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, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC:

     postulate Illation

Anagrams

• attopulse, plates out

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /po.stuˈla.te/
• Rhymes: -ate
• Hyphenation: po‧stu‧là‧te

Etymology 1

Verb

postulate

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

Etymology 2

Participle

postulate f pl

1. feminine plural of postulato

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /pos.tuˈlaː.te/, [pɔs̠t̪ʊˈɫ̪äːt̪ɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /pos.tuˈla.te/, [post̪uˈläːt̪e]

Verb

postulāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of postulō

Spanish

Verb

postulate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of postular combined with te