Meaning & use
posit
Last updated
Meaning
verbtransitiveformal
To suggest an idea or explanation as a starting point for discussion or reasoning, without having proved it.
Grammar: Takes an object or a that-clause: posit a theory, posit that the climate shifted.
Patterns
- posit something
- posit that something is true
- posit something as something
The researchers posit that sleep helps the brain clear waste.
Philosophers have long posited the existence of free will.
In her essay she posits a link between music and memory.
Word forms
| third person singular | posits |
|---|---|
| past tense | posited |
| past participle | posited |
| -ing form | positing |
Common combinations
- posit a theory
- The astronomer posited a theory about the missing mass.
- posit that
- Some economists posit that prices will fall next year.
- posit the existence of
- The model posits the existence of a hidden planet.
- posit a link
- The study posits a link between diet and mood.
- posit an idea
- He posited an idea that nobody had considered.
Synonyms and how they differ
- propose
- Propose is a more general word for offering a plan or idea, while posit is mostly for theories or assumptions.
- suggest
- Suggest is everyday and tentative, whereas posit sounds more academic and treats the idea as a starting assumption.
- hypothesize
- Hypothesize is tied to science and testing, while posit can be used in philosophy and general argument too.
- assume
- Assume means taking something as true without checking, but posit means putting it forward openly to be examined.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: posit or postulate? posit or pose?
posit vs postulate
Postulate is very close in meaning but often implies treating something as an accepted basis. Posit is lighter and can just suggest an idea.
posit vs pose
Pose a question means to ask it, while posit a theory means to put it forward as a possibility.
Practice
The author ____ that early humans migrated by boat, though she has no direct proof yet.
Choose one answer.
Posits that introduces a theory put forward without proof. Poses needs an object like a question, and the other verbs do not take a that-clause.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “posit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.