Postulerer

Postulerer is a Norwegian verb meaning to postulate or to assert something as a basis for reasoning. It denotes proposing a premise or assumption that is treated as given for the purpose of argument, analysis, or explanation, rather than presenting something that has been empirically proven.

Usage is common in philosophy, science, and formal argumentation. A statement that a theory postulates a certain condition or relation is treated as a starting point for further reasoning. Examples: “Teorien postulerer at gravitasjon er en tiltrekningskraft.” “Forskeren postulerer en hypotese som senere skal testes.” In everyday language, the verb can appear when someone frames a condition as an accepted premise, though it carries a more formal or theoretical nuance than more ordinary verbs like anta or foreslå.

Conjugation and grammar: the infinitive is å postulere, and the present tense is postulerer. The simple past is postulerte, and the present perfect is har postulert. Like other -ere verbs, the endings are relatively regular across persons: jeg postulerer, du postulerer, han/hun/den postulerer, vi postulerer, dere postulerer, de postulerer.

Etymology and relation to other terms: postulere derives from Latin postulare, meaning to demand or require, with a pathway through historical forms in Norwegian, and is related to the noun postulat. Related terms include forutsette (to presuppose), anta (to suppose/assume), and hypotese (hypothesis). Postulation is the corresponding noun form in English and Norwegian (postulat).