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Added 9 October 2026

posit

/ˈpɒzɪt/ noun

Latin root: positus Coined: 2017, by John Gustafson Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about posit at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

(logic) a proposition that is accepted as true in order to provide a basis for logical reasoning.

verb

Put (something somewhere) firmly.
She posited her hand on his shoulder
Put before.
I submit to you that the accused is guilty
Take as a given; assume as a postulate or axiom.
He posited three basic laws of nature

Origin

Borrowed from Latin positus, perfect participle of pōnō (“put, place”). Noun sense 3 (type of number format) was coined by American computer scientist and businessman John Gustafson in 2017.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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