presuppose
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to suppose or assume beforehand; take for granted in advance.
- Synonyms:
- presume
-
(of a thing, condition, or state of affairs) to require or imply as an antecedent condition.
An effect presupposes a cause.
verb
-
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
Other Word Forms
- presupposition noun
Etymology
Origin of presuppose
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French presupposer; pre-, suppose
Explanation
To presuppose is to take something as a given; presupposing is like assuming. When you suppose something is true, you assume it's true; to presuppose means something similar. The pre — which means "before" — is a reminder that what you're assuming is background or pretext for something else. Asking “Want soup?” presupposes someone is hungry. Asking a woman "When is the baby due?" presupposes that she’s pregnant. Presupposing can be dangerous: if your presuppositions are incorrect, you could jump to the wrong conclusion.
Vocabulary lists containing presuppose
My Antonia
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Rebecca
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"I think that's the main thing. That doesn't presuppose the outcome of the negotiation," Carney added.
From BBC • May 6, 2025
"Today's announcement does not presuppose or any way suggest the outcome of the investigations into the tragic incident," he said in a statement.
From Reuters • Sep. 29, 2023
I can't presuppose that these medical advancements wouldn't have happened.
From Salon • Mar. 18, 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
Again, all special studies presuppose certain fundamental types of things.
From "Grendel" by John Gardner
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.
