hypothetical

adjective

hy·​po·​thet·​i·​cal ˌhī-pə-ˈthe-ti-kəl 

: involving or being based on a suggested idea or theory : being or involving a hypothesis : conjectural

hypothetical arguments

a hypothetical situation

hypothetical noun

Synonyms

• academic
• academical
• conjectural
• speculative
• suppositional
• theoretical
• theoretic

Examples of hypothetical in a Sentence

She described a hypothetical case to clarify her point.

we talked about what we would do in various hypothetical emergencies

Recent Examples on the Web

To be clear: The consumer version of a psychiatric BCI like Inner Cosmos’ Digital Pill may be just as distant or hypothetical as any other BCI. —Naveen Rao, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

For example, a purely hypothetical deal of Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Nikola Jovic and two or three first-rounders for Morant and a minimum salary would work within cap rules. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025

Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer recently pitched a shocking one-for-one hypothetical trade that would send Robert to the Detroit Tigers. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025

The founder of Wild Sheep Content and former Netflix exec set out a hypothetical dystopian future in which AI churns out an endless stream of short content. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hypothetical

• alphabetical
• antithetical
• arithmetical
• catechetical
• exegetical
• homiletical
• parenthetical
• theoretical
• aesthetical
• genetical
• heretical
• magnetical

Kids Definition

hypothetical

adjective

hy·​po·​thet·​i·​cal ˌhi-pə-ˈthet-i-kəl 

1

: involving a hypothesis or the making of assumptions : assumed

2

: imagined for purposes of example

a hypothetical case

hypothetically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb