presuppose

American  

[pree-suh-pohz] / ˌpri səˈpoʊz /

verb (used with object)

presupposed, presupposing

1. to suppose or assume beforehand; take for granted in advance.

   Synonyms:

   presume

2. (of a thing, condition, or state of affairs) to require or imply as an antecedent condition.

   An effect presupposes a cause.

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presuppose British  

/ ˌpriːsəˈpəʊz, ˌpriːsʌpəˈzɪʃən /

verb

1. to take for granted; assume

2. to require or imply as a necessary prior condition

3. 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

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Other Word Forms

• presupposition noun

Etymology

Origin of presuppose

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

Example Sentences

"I think that's the main thing. That doesn't presuppose the outcome of the negotiation," Carney added.

From BBC • May 6, 2025

Russian Arctic Ambassador Nikolay Korchunov, chair of the Senior Arctic Officials on the council, told Reuters the transition would "presuppose active and responsible participation of all Arctic Council member states in this preparatory process."

From Reuters • Mar. 28, 2023

In his work on the foundations of arithmetic, Frege noted that numbers are unique in that they presuppose a way of describing the stuff they quantify.

From Scientific American • Mar. 7, 2023

But what about the workforce the fabs presuppose?

From Washington Post • Feb. 1, 2023

Again, all special studies presuppose certain fundamental types of things.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner

Related Words

• infer
• posit