Postulate

[verb pos-chuh-leyt; noun pos-chuh-lit, -leyt] /verb ˈpɒs tʃəˌleɪt; noun ˈpɒs tʃə lɪt, -ˌleɪt/

verb (used with object), postulated, postulating.
1.
to ask, demand, or claim.
2.
to claim or assume the existence or truth of, especially as a basis for reasoning or arguing.
3.
to assume without proof, or as self-evident; take for granted.
4.
Mathematics, Logic. to assume as a postulate.
noun
5.
something taken as self-evident or assumed without proof as a basis for reasoning.
6.
Mathematics, Logic. a proposition that requires no proof, being self-evident, or that is for a specific purpose assumed true, and that is used in the proof of other propositions; axiom.
7.
a fundamental principle.
8.
a necessary condition; prerequisite.
verb (transitive; may take a clause as object) (ˈpɒstjʊˌleɪt)
1.
to assume to be true or existent; take for granted
2.
to ask, demand, or claim
3.
to nominate (a person) to a post or office subject to approval by a higher authority
noun (ˈpɒstjʊlɪt)
4.
something taken as self-evident or assumed as the basis of an argument
5.
a necessary condition or prerequisite
6.
a fundamental principle
7.
(logic, maths) an unproved and indemonstrable statement that should be taken for granted: used as an initial premise or underlying hypothesis in a process of reasoning
v.

1530s, “nominate to a church office,” from Medieval Latin postulatus, past participle of postulare “to ask, demand; claim; require,” probably formed from past participle of Latin poscere “ask urgently, demand,” from *posk-to-, Italic inchoative of PIE root *prek- “to ask questions” (cf. Sanskrit prcchati, Avestan peresaiti “interrogates,” Old High German forskon, German forschen “to search, inquire”). Use in logic dates from 1640s, borrowed from Medieval Latin.
n.

1580s, “a request, demand,” from Latin postulatum “demand, request,” properly “that which is requested,” noun use of neuter past participle of postulare (see postulate (v.)). The sense in logic of “self-evident proposition” is from 1640s. The earlier noun in English was postulation (c.1400).

postulate pos·tu·late (pŏs’chə-lāt’)
v. pos·tu·lat·ed, pos·tu·lat·ing, pos·tu·lates
To assume or assert the truth or necessity of, especially as a basis of an argument. n.
An unproved assertion or assumption, especially a statement offered as the basis of a theory.
pos’tu·la’tion n.
postulate
(pŏs’chə-lĭt)
See axiom.

A statement accepted as true for the purposes of argument or scientific investigation; also, a basic principle. (See axiom.)