好词典

postulates

UK //ˈpɒstjʊleɪts//US //ˈpɑːstʃəleɪts//

词源

源自拉丁语 'postulare'(意为要求、请求),通过法语 'postuler' 进入英语,最初指教会职位申请,后发展出逻辑学含义。

verb

❶ 提出或假设某事为真实或必要,通常作为理论或论证的基础,未经证明但被暂时接受。

“Einstein postulated that the speed of light is constant in all inertial frames.”

(爱因斯坦假设光速在所有惯性参考系中都是恒定的。)

“The theory postulates that all humans have an innate desire for happiness.”

(该理论假设所有人都有追求幸福的天生欲望。)

同义词:assume, hypothesize, presume, suppose, posit

noun

❶ 作为理论或系统基础的基本假设或前提,通常被认为是自明的或无需证明的。

“One of Euclid's postulates is that a straight line can be drawn between any two points.”

(欧几里得的一个公设是可以在任意两点之间画一条直线。)

“The first postulate of the theory states that energy cannot be created or destroyed.”

(该理论的第一个基本假设指出能量不能被创造或毁灭。)

同义词:axiom, premise, assumption, principle, proposition

常见短语

basic postulates — 指某个理论或体系中最基础、不可再简化的假设,通常作为推导其他结论的起点。

“The basic postulates of quantum mechanics revolutionized our understanding of the microscopic world.”

(量子力学的基本假设彻底改变了我们对微观世界的理解。)

self-evident postulates — 指那些被认为无需证明、显而易见的根本前提,常出现在数学或哲学体系中。

“The Declaration of Independence begins with self-evident postulates about human rights.”

(《独立宣言》以关于人权的不言自明的原则开篇。)