The conventional theories of truth basic mathematical statements are true by virtue of the meanings of the terms therein. But the fact that the axioms express what we want or believe terms to mean does not absolve us from having to assume them, even if we simply stipulate them by fiat. Rather it is an admission that we simply have to assume certain basic propositions. Beyond this, to say that complex axioms such as those of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory are true by virtue of the meanings of the constituent terms is not supportable. (Maddy, 1984, gives an account of set-theoretic axioms in current use which by no stretch of the imagination are considered true). We must regent these axioms as implicit definitions of their constituent terms, and it is evident we must assume the axioms to proceed with set theory.