as in theoretic
existing only as an assumption or speculation
we talked about what we would do in various hypothetical emergencies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in assumption
something taken as being true or factual and used as a starting point for a course of action or reasoning
believes that predictions of the extinction of certain species as the result of global warming are based upon too many hypotheticals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hypothetical
Michael Irving, New Atlas, 5 Dec. 2024
Interestingly, though, that's a more divided reaction than a previous YouGov poll showed back in September 2023, when the idea of a Hunter Biden pardon was completely hypothetical.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024
So our icebreaker for the show or within the show will be a hypothetical.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Dec. 2024
For example, say your hypothetical mortgage payment is $2,500 while your rent is $2,000, Williams said.
—Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hypothetical 
Adjective
Unlike regular black holes, which are born from the collapse of massive stars, primordial black holes are hypothetical objects created soon after the Big Bang.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 5 Dec. 2024
Interestingly, though, that's a more divided reaction than a previous YouGov poll showed back in September 2023, when the idea of a Hunter Biden pardon was completely hypothetical.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2024
So our icebreaker for the show or within the show will be a hypothetical.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Dec. 2024
For example, say your hypothetical mortgage payment is $2,500 while your rent is $2,000, Williams said.
—Ana Teresa Solá, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hypothetical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypothetical
Noun
-
This potential harm stems from two untested assumptions: 1.Gregory Francis, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
-
Cramer examined why each stock saw gains, attributing some of their recent successes to the assumption that President-elect Donald Trump’s new regulators will largely abandon efforts to curb big business’ power.Julie Coleman, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Cox had a reputation for yelling slurs at girls out of the window of his Chevy, an unsavory fact that ballooned into motive in speculative conversations.Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
-
These developments will likely work to mitigate risks of investing in a speculative asset, inviting more players into the market - and this is already happening.Trefis Team, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
But when a 14-year-old girl was found dead soon after in the same manner, this time without cocaine in her system, police began to question the theory.Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
-
The theory is that quantum computers will be able to process much larger volumes of data, leading to potential breakthroughs in areas like medicine, science and finance.Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But unlike the 2023 interview, the topics Welker brought up and Trump's response to them are no longer theoretical campaign promises.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 8 Dec. 2024
-
At its peak, around 3:00 am PT the following morning, the coin had a theoretical total value of $72 million; the tokens the teenager had initially held were worth more than $3 million.Joel Khalili, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The pinnacle of the prediction hypothesis might be Sora, a video-generating model that OpenAI announced in February and which conjures clips, more or less, by predicting and outputting a sequence of frames.Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
-
The new findings not only bolster the hypothesis that comets contributed to Earth's oceans, alongside asteroids, but also provide a window into the formation of the early solar system.Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hypothetical
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypothetical. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share