hypothetical
Americanadjective
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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
-
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.
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Logic.
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(of a proposition) highly conjectural; not well supported by available evidence.
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(of a proposition or syllogism) conditional.
-
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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.
noun
-
hypotheticals
plural
adjective
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having the nature of a hypothesis
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assumed or thought to exist
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logic another word for conditional
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existing only as an idea or concept
a time machine is a hypothetical device
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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?
Vocabulary lists containing hypothetical
Argumentative Writing
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Words That Could Go Either Way: Synonyms for "Maybe"
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If your investments had a hypothetical 10% annual return before inflation, investing your checks might look attractive.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Take the hypothetical example of a city that has hired McKinsey to study where to place a new athletic stadium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 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
These hypothetical stars are thought to have been the universe's first generation, forming from pristine gas made only of hydrogen and helium before heavier elements had spread widely.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
Mortality had remained a conveniently hypothetical concept, an idea to ponder in the abstract.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Yet that was a restrained debate, locked into hypotheticals about how Iran might react if the country’s security was further threatened.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
It’s wise to be skeptical of hypotheticals stacked on hypotheticals.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
And after a seventh-straight loss and a second straight season left spiraling, hypotheticals could only carry USC and its coach so far.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2026
Justice Neil Gorsuch tested that argument with hypotheticals.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2026
SABIO, MARIA: Ved, please provide all hypotheticals relative to the following question: What repercussions would occur if Ridge Sabio traveled back in time to Red Knot, Delaware, in the 1990s and arrived safely?
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
