hypothetical

American  

[hahy-puh-thet-i-kuhl] / ˌhaɪ pəˈθɛt ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. 

   assumed or entertained as a theoretical possibility, invented example, premise for argument’s sake, etc.; supposed.

   In the hypothetical case that you miss your flight or it is delayed, you will need a contingency plan.

   Synonyms:

   speculative, theoretical, supposition, academic

2. relating to or characterized by the use of assumptions for argument’s sake or of provisional, informed conjectures to guide investigation.

   Science depends on hypothetical reasoning.

3. Logic.

   1. (of a proposition) highly conjectural; not well supported by available evidence.

   2. (of a proposition or syllogism) conditional.

4. tending to resort to theoretical assumptions, conditional propositions, invented examples, etc., especially unrealistic ones; speculative.

   His stuff is fun to read, but he’s so hypothetical I can’t take him seriously.

   Stop the worry spiral in your mind before your thoughts become too hypothetical.

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noun

• hypotheticals
  plural

1. a hypothetical situation, instance, etc..

   The Secretary of Defense refused to discuss hypotheticals with the reporters.

hypothetical British  

/ ˌhaɪpəˈθɛtɪkəl /

adjective

1. having the nature of a hypothesis

2. assumed or thought to exist

3. logic another word for conditional

4. existing only as an idea or concept

   a time machine is a hypothetical device

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unhypothetical
  adjective
• hypothetically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hypotheticals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of hypothetical

First recorded in 1580–90; from Greek hypothetik(ós) “supposed” ( hypo- hypo- + the- “placed, put,” base of tithénai “to place, put, set”) + -tikos -tic ) + -al ¹

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Explanation

Everyone who has ever taken a science class knows the word "hypothesis," which means an idea, or a guess, that you are going to test through an experiment. A hypothetical is related to that. It means something based on an informed guess. Hypotheticals are fun. How would you do in a hypothetical arm-wrestling competition against your Grandma? There are people in the Pentagon whose jobs are to consider all kinds of hypotheticals––what if Luxembourg armed itself with nuclear weapons? What if France developed the ability to pelt Switzerland with cannons firing cheeses?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hypothetical hypotheticals

If your investments had a hypothetical 10% annual return before inflation, investing your checks might look attractive.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

My wife says I’ve built an endless list of hypothetical disasters so I never have to make a decision.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

Although all known life depends on water, hypothetical organisms elsewhere in the universe might rely on different liquids.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

In the Vanity Fair interview he was asked a hypothetical question.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

But those hypothetical outcomes were foreclosed by mammal extinctions thousands of years earlier.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Consider some hypotheticals for how donations—which would be real assets in children’s accounts—could be used or leveraged:

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

It’s wise to be skeptical of hypotheticals stacked on hypotheticals.

From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026

“A.I. embodies hypotheticals I can only imagine for myself,” she wrote for the Atlantic in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

But none of the other justices appeared to be won over by these hypotheticals.

From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026

The irrealis mood is found in many languages, where it expresses situations that are not known to have happened, including hypotheticals, imperatives, and questions.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

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Related Words

• debatable
• imaginary
• problematic
• speculative
• theoretical
• vague

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