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Presupposition: meaning, definitions and examples

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presupposition

 

[ ˌpriːsəpəˈzɪʃən ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in linguistics

A presupposition is an implicit assumption about the world or background belief relating to an utterance whose truth is taken for granted in discourse. In other words, it is something that must be true for a sentence to make sense.

Synonyms

assumption, postulate, premise.

Examples of usage

  • Her husband is still in the office, presupposing that she is married.
  • The fact that the sun rises in the east is a presupposition in many cultures.
Context #2 | Noun

in psychology

In psychology, a presupposition refers to the beliefs, values, and attitudes that individuals already hold before they engage in a certain activity or conversation. These presuppositions can influence behavior and perception.

Synonyms

bias, preconception, prejudice.

Examples of usage

  • His presupposition that all politicians are corrupt colored his view of the election.
  • The therapist helped her challenge her negative presuppositions about herself.

Translations

Translations of the word "presupposition" in other languages:

🇵🇹 pressuposição

🇮🇳 पूर्वधारणा

🇩🇪 Voraussetzung

🇮🇩 praanggapan

🇺🇦 припущення

🇵🇱 przypuszczenie

🇯🇵 前提

🇫🇷 présupposition

🇪🇸 presuposición

🇹🇷 varsayım

🇰🇷 전제

🇸🇦 افتراض

🇨🇿 předpoklad

🇸🇰 predpoklad

🇨🇳 前提

🇸🇮 predpostavka

🇮🇸 forsenda

🇰🇿 алғышарт

🇬🇪 წინაპირობა

🇦🇿 fərziyyə

🇲🇽 presuposición

Etymology

The term 'presupposition' has its roots in philosophy and logic, dating back to the work of philosophers like Gottlob Frege and Bertrand Russell. It was later adopted in linguistics by scholars such as J.L. Austin and John Searle to describe implicit meaning in language. In psychology, the concept of presuppositions has been explored in the context of cognitive biases and social psychology.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #21,531, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.