Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense presupposes, present participle presupposing, past tense, past participle presupposed
verb
If one thing presupposes another, the first thing cannot be true or exist unless the second thing is true or exists.
All your arguments presuppose that he's a rational, intelligent man. [VERB that]
The end of an era presupposes the start of another. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: presume, consider, accept, suppose More Synonyms of presuppose
presuppose in British English
(ˌpriːsəˈpəʊz)
verb(transitive)
1.
to take for granted; assume
2.
to require or imply as a necessary prior condition
3. 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
Derived forms
presupposition (ˌpriːsʌpəˈzɪʃən)
noun
presuppose in American English
(ˌprisəˈpoʊz)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˌpresupˈposed or ˌpresupˈposing