hypothetical
Americanadjective
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assumed or entertained as a theoretical possibility, invented example, premise for argument’s sake, etc.; supposed.
In the hypothetical case that you miss your flight or it is delayed, you will need a contingency plan.
- Synonyms:
- speculative, theoretical, supposition, academic
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relating to or characterized by the use of assumptions for argument’s sake or of provisional, informed conjectures to guide investigation.
Science depends on hypothetical reasoning.
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Logic.
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(of a proposition) highly conjectural; not well supported by available evidence.
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(of a proposition or syllogism) conditional.
-
-
tending to resort to theoretical assumptions, conditional propositions, invented examples, etc., especially unrealistic ones; speculative.
His stuff is fun to read, but he’s so hypothetical I can’t take him seriously.
Stop the worry spiral in your mind before your thoughts become too hypothetical.
noun
adjective
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having the nature of a hypothesis
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assumed or thought to exist
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logic another word for conditional
-
existing only as an idea or concept
a time machine is a hypothetical device
Other Word Forms
- hypothetically adverb
- unhypothetical adjective
Etymology
Origin of hypothetical
First recorded in 1580–90; from Greek hypothetik(ós) “supposed” ( hypo- hypo- + the- “placed, put,” base of tithénai “to place, put, set”) + -tikos -tic ) + -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Generally, this is preferable to asking a hypothetical in opinion polls, which are getting more difficult than ever to do well.
From Salon
Healey said he would not speculate on "hypotheticals" when pressed on whether he could rule out UK involvement in further strikes.
From BBC
On Monday, Citrini Research put out a blog post laying out a hypothetical, cataclysmic near-future in which AI eliminates white-collar jobs, upending companies and entire industries.
From MarketWatch
On Monday, software stocks lost over $200 billion in market capitalization after Citrini Research released a blog post depicting a hypothetical future where AI leads to mass layoffs.
From MarketWatch
"I don't want to do hypotheticals," he said, before the new Paramount bid was made.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
