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

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

A hypothetical magnitude 7 earthquake near Las Vegas could cause about $21 billion in damage, ripping through vulnerable buildings and infrastructure, according to the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

A hypothetical $8 million luxury condo could face an additional annual bill of tens of thousands of dollars on top of existing taxes averaging $10,000 to $15,000.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

A hypothetical $10,000 investment in the 15 years through March would have grown into $95,080—more than twice as much as the S&P 500 Value Index and 46% more than the S&P 500 overall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

It’s a hypothetical molecular-engineering technology in which objects are designed and built with the individual specification and placement of each separate atom.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

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