hypothetically

[ hahy-puh-thet-i-klee ]

/ ˌhaɪ pəˈθɛt ɪ kli /

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See synonyms for hypothetically on Thesaurus.com

adverb

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.

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.

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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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of hypothetically

hypothetical + -ly

OTHER WORDS FROM hypothetically

un·hy·po·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby hypothetically

hypothesis, hypothesis testing, hypothesize, hypothetical, hypothetical imperative, hypothetically, hypothetico-deductive, hypothetico-deductive method, hypothymia, hypothyroidism, hypotonic

How to use hypothetically in a sentence

Senate staffers generally say it’s good to look at what’s already passed in the House to get a sense of what a hypothetical Democratic-controlled Senate might take up.
America needs a democratic revolution|Matthew Yglesias|September 17, 2020|Vox
In an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” she tried to set up a hypothetical in which Biden were president during the outbreak.
Trump’s increasingly overt effort to pretend Biden is actually president|Aaron Blake|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
For instance, if Party A wins 10 out of 15 seats with 70 percent of the vote in an actual election, then Party B, in a hypothetical election, should win 10 seats if it had 70 percent of the vote.
How next-gen computer generated maps detect partisan gerrymandering|Sujata Gupta|September 7, 2020|Science News
These surveys generally ask about a hypothetical FDA-approved vaccine.
A third of Americans might refuse a Covid-19 vaccine. How screwed are we?|Brian Resnick|September 4, 2020|Vox

For example, consider a hypothetical helicopter with a 30-foot rotor turning at 400 rpm.
The science behind how an aircraft glides|By Peter Garrison/Flying Mag|September 3, 2020|Popular-Science
One group of “Anons” could be pro-choice, another pro-life—at least hypothetically.
Anonymous’s Next Move|Winston Ross|April 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Hagel has also been more reluctant than Obama to support, even hypothetically, military action against Iran.
Hagel: The New Eisenhower|Peter Beinart|December 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
So instead of going (hypothetically) to $71,000 from $69,000, it would go to $70,000.
The Chained CPI and Votes in the House|Michael Tomasky|December 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In other words, a Palestinian from Susya could, hypothetically, apply for a permit on the 5% off-chance that it will be accepted.
Why Susya is "Illegal"|Moriel Rothman|June 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Palin could hypothetically skip the debates and any national interviews with anyone other than Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck.
Sarah Palin's Media Strategy|Meghan McCain|November 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Ibn Daud does not adopt eternity of motion even hypothetically, as Maimonides does.
A History of Mediaeval Jewish Philosophy|Isaac Husik
We only put the case hypothetically, but he would not admit it even so; he said, it is morally and metaphysically impossible.
Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847|T. W. (Thomas William) Allies
The former must be rendered hypothetically: They cannot be renewed after falling away if they persist in crucifying, etc.
The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews|Thomas Charles Edwards
These axioms, and so-called definitions are themselves exactly, and not merely hypothetically, true.
Analysis of Mr. Mill's System of Logic|William Stebbing
He adds, hypothetically, that perhaps the letters received at Dieppe “did somewhat discourage me.”
John Knox and the Reformation|Andrew Lang