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

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

• hypothetically
  adverb
• unhypothetical
  adjective

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

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

His previous work includes showing that quantum technology could potentially detect single gravitons, the hypothetical particles thought to carry gravity.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

Ambrogi said there “ hasn’t been any really broad documented evidence that this is a real trend,” and surveillance pricing bans are addressing a largely hypothetical problem.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

Across both live and hypothetical history, the index has never clocked a six-week performance as large as the current +30.5%,” says Daily Chartbook.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

The buyback aristocrat strategy showed a hypothetical 14.5% annual return over 10 years, with only 13% tech weighting.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

VED: This information changes the quantitative value of questioning needed to provide comprehensive analysis of hypothetical scenario.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

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