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

Consider this hypothetical; a customer signs a contract to buy the Evolv Express and subscribe to its software. —Jesse Silvertown, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

From these observations, researchers calculated the position of a hypothetical planet, then pointed their best telescopes there. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

In a hypothetical redo of the 2020 presidential election with the new electoral voting map, Biden would have still won, but his margin would have been smaller. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Even the hypothetical secession of Texas might fall short of provoking civil war. —Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined above

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