presuppose

[ pree-suh-pohz ]
/ ˌpri səˈpoʊz /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR presuppose ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), pre·sup·posed, pre·sup·pos·ing.

to suppose or assume beforehand; take for granted in advance.
(of a thing, condition, or state of affairs) to require or imply as an antecedent condition: An effect presupposes a cause.

Origin of presuppose

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Middle French word presupposer. See pre-, suppose

OTHER WORDS FROM presuppose

pre·sup·po·si·tion [pree-suhp-uh-zish-uhn] /ˌpri sʌp əˈzɪʃ ən/, noun pre·sup·po·si·tion·less, adjective

Words nearby presuppose

presumption of law, presumption of survivorship, presumptive, presumptive heir, presumptuous, presuppose, presuppurative, presurmise, presynaptic, presynaptic membrane, presystole

Words related to presupposition

inference, hunch, supposition, thesis, shot, surmise, presumption, guess, acceptance, belief, suspicion, postulate, conjecture, theory, expectation, postulation, hypothesis, fancy, premise, posit

Example sentences from the Web for presupposition

British Dictionary definitions for presupposition

presuppose
/ (ˌpriːsəˈpəʊz) /

verb (tr)

to take for granted; assume
to require or imply as a necessary prior condition
philosophy logic linguistics to require (a condition) to be satisfied as a precondition for a statement to be either true or false or for a speech act to be felicitous. Have you stopped beating your wife? presupposes that the person addressed has a wife and has beaten her

Derived forms of presuppose

presupposition (ˌpriːsʌpəˈzɪʃən), noun