hypothetically

adverb

hy·​po·​thet·​i·​cal·​ly ˌhī-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce hypothetically (audio)
: by making an assumption for the sake of discussion or argument : in a hypothetical way
speaking hypothetically
In this lucid report … he uses genetic differences, maps, computer simulations and an analysis of linguistic changes in the world's languages to hypothetically reconstruct the mass migrations of people across continents since modern humans first appeared.Genevieve Stuttaford
We asked ourselves hypothetically: If the chairmen of the boards of these major tobacco companies walked in here today and said, "Okay, we're ready to do a deal," what did we want?Lewis H. Lapham
used to suggest what is theoretically possible
Hypothetically, you could use a computer to synthesize a large number of harmonics, add them back together, and reproduce a sound similar to that of the bowed violin string.Dragan Huterer

Examples of hypothetically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Any of the three could hypothetically fit in New York as well. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 Senate Republicans could also hypothetically force vote after vote to reopen the government, giving them further headaches in the process. Al Weaver, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025 Lunardi’s projected East Region gives Duke the No. 1 seed, which means the Blue Devils and Terps could hypothetically meet in the Sweet 16. Bennett Conlin, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2025 So, hypothetically, Amazon would only need to dramatically improve its ROIC rank to join Apple as one of the few companies to rank so highly for ROIC and revenue at the same time. David Trainer, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hypothetically

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypothetically was in 1593

Cite this Entry

“Hypothetically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypothetically. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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