-ōz transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English presupposen, from Middle French presupposer, modification (influenced by poser to put, place) of Medieval Latin praesupponere (perfect stem praesuppos- ), from Latin prae- pre- + Medieval Latin supponere to suppose — more at suppose
1. : to suppose beforehand : form an opinion or judgment of in advance : expect
presupposes that we are acquainted with the general outline — Daniel George
2. : to require as a necessary antecedent condition in logic or fact : imply
true amiability presupposes discernment, tact, a sense for what other people really feel and want — George Santayana
every act of ours … presupposes a balance of thought, feeling, and will — Joseph Conrad
Synonyms:
presume , assume , postulate , premise , posit : presuppose indicates a taking for granted of something as true or existent, ranging from hazy, casual, uncritical acceptance or belief to certainty through the requirements of logical causation
Puritanism presupposed an intelligent clergy capable of interpreting Scripture — American Guide Series: Massachusetts
culture, which exists only through man, who is also a social animal, presupposes society — A.L.Kroeber
presume may imply that whatever is taken for granted is entitled to belief until disproved; broadly it may imply casual conjecture
everyone charged with a penal offense has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty — U.N. Declaration of Human Rights
nobody in Baskul had known much about him except that he had arrived from Persia, where it was presumed he had something to do with oil — James Hilton
assume indicates arbitrary or deliberate acceptance of something not proved or demonstrated or susceptible of being proved or demonstrated, or acceptance in accord with what evidence is available
there are many laws at present which are inequitable, because, for example, they assume a freedom of choice on the part of one party which under existing social circumstances is not there — Norbert Wiener
if we take the witness at his word and assume that he has this fear — B.N.Meltzer
postulate may suggest assumption acknowledged as indemonstrable but accepted as true because indispensable as the basis for some thought series or procedure
the prevailing theological system is one which postulates the reality of guidance by a personal god — Aldous Huxley
in the field of chemistry the nature philosophers postulated that electrical forces were responsible for the combination of chemical substances, a theory which enjoyed a considerable following when experimental evidence for the view was later discovered — S.F.Mason
premise indicates laying down a proposition from which an inference can be drawn or stating facts and principles fundamental to an argument
Bentham's hopes for such a “hedonistic” or “felicific calculus” and for a system of legislation and jurisprudence constructed by its use were premised on the assumption that pleasures and pains can be compared quantitatively — Lucius Garvin
posit may apply to something premised as a truth or declared conviction
St. Thomas posits the composition of substance and accident as the objective basis of mathematical abstraction — F.G.Connolly