voraussetzt

Voraussetzen is a German transitive verb meaning to presuppose, to assume in advance, or to require as a precondition. It is used to indicate that something is taken as given for purposes of argument, planning, or evaluation. The infinitive is voraussetzen; in present tense the third-person singular is setzt voraus (for example, Er setzt voraus, dass alle pünktlich sind). The simple past is setzte voraus, and the perfect is hat vorausgesetzt. The verb can govern clauses introduced by dass, as in Wir setzen voraus, dass die Daten korrekt sind, or it can govern a noun phrase, as in Diese Annahme setzt bestimmte Kenntnisse voraus.

Nuance and usage: voraussetzen signals a stronger assertion than merely an assumption, often implying a precondition or prerequisite for something else. It can be synonymous with annehmen in casual speech, but it carries a more formal or objective undertone, especially in academic, scientific, or philosophical contexts. In logic and philosophy, the related noun Voraussetzung is used for terms like premises or preconditions, and the verb form frequently appears in discussions of what a theory or argument presupposes.

Grammatical notes: voraussetzen is typically used as a regular transitive verb; its past participle is vorausgesetzt. The phrase vorausgesetz, dass … (or more commonly dass …) means “provided that …” or “given that …” and functions as a subordinate condition in clauses. The noun form Voraussetzung denotes a prerequisite, condition, or assumption essential to a proposition or plan.