What does postulate mean?
Word: Postulate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Postulate means to put forward an idea as true so that it can be the starting point of a theory or discussion.
Synonyms: assume, propose, posit
Word origin: Comes from the Latin verb postulare, meaning to ask or to demand.
How do you spell postulate?
Syllables: pos - tu - late
Tricky part: The vowel in the middle is said so lightly that students guess a, e or o, when only one letter is right.
Watch out for: postalate, postolate, postelate
Memory tip: When you postulate, you assume something is true. Let the word 'you', sounding just like the letter u, stand in the middle.
Postulate in a sentence
Example 1: Early astronomers postulated a hidden planet to explain the odd path of a distant one.
Example 2: Scientists postulate that water once flowed across the surface of Mars.
Example 3: For this exercise, the teacher postulated a town with no cars at all.
Fun Fact
Around 300 BC the Greek mathematician Euclid set out five postulates near the start of his great book, the Elements, and built much of geometry on them.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
postul_ _ _
a) ete
b) ate
c) ait
d) eit
Show answer
b) ate. The ending is the common verb -ate of calculate and regulate.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
tusoaltep 123456789
a) 943526871
b) 943126578
c) 946132578
d) 931426578
Show answer
b) 943126578. Taken in this order, the nine letters form postulate.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. postulate 2. corroborate 3. refute a. to take an idea as given before testing it b. to prove that an idea is wrong c. to back up an idea with fresh evidence
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. Postulating starts an argument off, corroborating supports it and refuting knocks it down.
Spell Probe
Fill the blanks with 'o' and 'u'. Which option gives the meaning of the word they complete? 1. p_st_late 2. p_rc_late 3. p_lp_tate 4. p_l_tical
a) to pass slowly through small holes
b) to beat quickly and strongly
c) connected with the government of a country
d) to reason from something assumed but not proved
Show answer
d) to reason from something assumed but not proved. O and u fit only p_st_late; percolate, palpitate and political need other vowels.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A scientist postulates a new explanation. What can you say about it?
a) it may not have been proved yet
b) it came from a colleague at work
c) it has already been published
d) it has ended the research for good
Show answer
a) it may not have been proved yet
2. Which sentence opener suits a speaker who is about to postulate something?
a) Thank you all for coming to
b) Please remember to switch off
c) Let us suppose, for now, that
d) I am sorry to report that
Show answer
c) Let us suppose, for now, that
