posit
Americanverb (used with object)
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to place, put, or set.
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to lay down or assume as a fact or principle; postulate.
noun
verb
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to assume or put forward as fact or the factual basis for an argument; postulate
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to put in position
noun
Etymology
Origin of posit
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin positus, past participle of pōnere “to place, put”
Explanation
To posit something is to assume or suggest that it is true. You can posit an idea or opinion. When you posit, you submit an idea or give an opinion. Scientists posit many ideas — called hypotheses — that they then try to prove or disprove through experimentation and research. In science, you hear about positing a lot, and the same is true in math and logic. When you say "If X, then Y" you're positing a proposition. Positing can also mean to put something somewhere firmly — this means to deposit, fix, or situate.
Vocabulary lists containing posit
"This Is Water" by David Foster Wallace
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"What Is Cultural Identity?"
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Big Science
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It's not for me to posit whether it's the beginning, the middle or the end. That's his," said the former Fox News host.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
Martin, who made himself a household name in the States with English-language songs like “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and “She Bangs,” never tried to posit himself as a revolutionary.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026
Some are just ridiculous, as when advocates posit that the best way to evaluate an event’s likelihood is to see what gamblers with “skin in the game” are thinking about it.
From Slate • Jan. 6, 2026
“West End Girl” and the public’s ensuing reaction posit that it might be possible.
From Salon • Oct. 29, 2025
“There are flying squirrels, you know. They exist. In fact, there are some theories that posit that all squirrels are descended from the flying squirrel. In any case, flying squirrels themselves are a documented fact.”
From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
