Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of 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.
\Pos"tu*late\, a. Postulated. [Obs.] --Hudibras.
\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.