Hypertext Webster Gateway: "postulate"
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) 1.7 (wn)
postulate
n : (logic) a proposition that is accepted as true in order to
provide a basis for logical reasoning [syn: {posit}]
v 1: maintain or assert; "He contended that Communism had 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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