noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/pɹiː.sʌ.pəˈzɪ.ʃ(ə)n/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R IY2 S AH0 P AH0 Z IH1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An assumption made beforehand; a preliminary conjecture or speculation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The act of presupposing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An assumption or belief implicit in an utterance or other use of language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the act of presupposing; a supposition made prior to having knowledge (as for the purpose of argument)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: supposition, supposal
History
Etymology
From Middle French présupposition, from Latin praesuppositio, from the past participle stem of praesuppōnere (“to presuppose”).
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
pressuposició
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Catalan:
suposició
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Chinese Mandarin:
預設 /预设
(yùshè)
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Chinese Mandarin:
前提
(qiántí)
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Dutch:
veronderstelling
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Dutch:
aanname
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
French:
présupposition
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
German:
Annahme
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Greek:
προϋπόθεση
(proÿpóthesi)
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Hindi:
पूर्वमान्यता
(pūrvamānyatā)
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Hungarian:
előfeltevés
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Icelandic:
forsenda
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Italian:
assunzione
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Italian:
congettura
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Italian:
speculazione
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Italian:
presupposto
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Polish:
antycypacja
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Portuguese:
pressuposição
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Portuguese:
pressuposto
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Spanish:
presuposición
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Vietnamese:
tiền giả định
— assumption, conjecture, speculation or something supposed without proof
Catalan:
pressuposició
— act of presupposing
Dutch:
veronderstelling
— act of presupposing
Dutch:
(het) veronderstellen
— act of presupposing
Dutch:
aanname
— act of presupposing
Dutch:
(het) aannemen
— act of presupposing
Greek:
προϋπόθεση
(proÿpóthesi)
— act of presupposing
