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postulate |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Postulate \Pos"tu*late\, n. [L. postulatum a demand, request, prop. p. p. of postulare to demand, prob. a dim. of poscere to demand, prob. for porcscere akin to G. forschen to search, investigate, Skr. prach to ask and L. precari to pray: cf F. postulat. See {Pray}.] 1. Something demanded or asserted; especially, a position or supposition assumed without proof, or one which is considered as self-evident; a truth to which assent may be demanded or challenged, without argument or evidence. 2. (Geom.) The enunciation of a self-evident problem, in distinction from an axiom, which is the enunciation of a self-evident theorem. The distinction between a postulate and an axiom lies in this -- that the latter is admitted to be self-evident, while the former may be agreed upon between two reasoners, and admitted by both but not as proposition which it would be impossible to deny. --Eng. Cyc. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Postulate \Pos"tu*late\, a. Postulated. [Obs.] --Hudibras. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Postulate \Pos"tu*late\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Postulated}; p. pr & vb n. {Postulating}.] 1. To beg, or assume without proof; as to postulate conclusions. 2. To take without express consent; to assume. The Byzantine emperors appear to have . . . postulated a sort of paramount supremacy over this nation. --W. Tooke. 3. To invite earnestly; to solicit. [Obs.] --Bp. Burnet. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: postulate n : in logic: a proposition that is accepted as true in order to provide a basis for logical reasoning v 1: maintain or assert; "He contended that Communism ahd no future" [syn: {contend}] 2: take as a given assume as a postulate or axiom; "He posited three basic laws of nature" [syn: {posit}]
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