hypothetically

American  

[hahy-puh-thet-i-klee] / ˌhaɪ pəˈθɛt ɪ kli /

adverb

1. according to what is assumed as a premise in an argument.

   Hypothetically, without friction or other resistance a toy car on a track could cruise along indefinitely, provided it never went higher than its starting point.

2. in a way that is theoretically possible but not proven; conjecturally; speculatively.

   Hypothetically, these nanobots would be able to traverse any type of terrain and would therefore be ideal for exploration missions on other planets.

   While hypothetically this could be the case, you appear to have no evidence to support it.

3. according to what is assumed or imagined; supposedly.

   I do legal transcription and hypothetically clean the house while my children are at school.

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Other Word Forms

• unhypothetically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of hypothetically

hypothetical ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hypothetically

"Nobody really knows," Arlotta said, adding she suspected organoids could hypothetically last a little longer.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Today, Amazon still has its “two-pizza teams,” but, hypothetically, a 16-person, two-pizza team might be broken up into two smaller cross-functional pods of eight, each focused on a specific project, according to Singh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

But there are inherent weaknesses: hypothetically, the official approving a bar license or passing a fire-safety check is the friend, neighbour, or maybe even cousin of the bar owner.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

Or, hypothetically, when a member of the U.S. military or the executive branch tries to make several years’ worth of salary by betting on whether a looming secret operation will succeed?

From Slate ● Jan. 6, 2026

I’d been speaking hypothetically about moving to New York a year early.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Related Words

• apparently
• doubtless
• probably
• seemingly
• supposedly
• surely