hypothetical

[ hahy-puh-thet-i-kuhl ]
/ ˌhaɪ pəˈθɛt ɪ kəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR hypothetical ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Also hy·po·thet·ic (for defs 1–4).

assumed by hypothesis; supposed: a hypothetical case.
of, pertaining to, involving, or characterized by hypothesis: hypothetical reasoning.
given to making hypotheses.
Logic.
  1. (of a proposition) highly conjectural; not well supported by available evidence.
  2. (of a proposition or syllogism) conditional.

noun

a hypothetical situation, instance, etc.: The Secretary of Defense refused to discuss hypotheticals with the reporters.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of hypothetical

1580–90; < Greek hypothetik(ós) supposed (hypo- hypo- + the- put (base of tithénai to put, do1) + -tikos -tic) + -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM hypothetical

hy·po·thet·i·cal·ly, adverbun·hy·po·thet·i·cal, adjectiveun·hy·po·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby hypothetical

hypothermal, hypothermia, hypothesis, hypothesis testing, hypothesize, hypothetical, hypothetical imperative, hypothetico-deductive, hypothetico-deductive method, hypothrombinemia, hypothymia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to hypothetic

alleged, apparent, conjectural, hypothetical, inferential, likely, presumptive, suppositional, suppositious, supposititious, suppositive, asserted, presumed, purported, abstract, academic, analytical, assumed, contingent, general

Example sentences from the Web for hypothetic

British Dictionary definitions for hypothetic

hypothetical

hypothetic

/ (ˌhaɪpəˈθɛtɪkəl) /

adjective

having the nature of a hypothesis
assumed or thought to exist
logic another word for conditional (def. 4)
existing only as an idea or concepta time machine is a hypothetical device

Derived forms of hypothetical

hypothetically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012