hypothetical

adjective

hy·​po·​thet·​i·​cal ˌhī-pə-ˈthe-ti-kəl How to pronounce hypothetical (audio)
: involving or being based on a suggested idea or theory : being or involving a hypothesis : conjectural
hypothetical arguments
a hypothetical situation
hypothetical noun

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
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.
Some of them don't always make a lot of sense, but this hypothetical deal seems to have the groundwork of a potential trade this month. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025 As directed by Grok’s cousin (or whatever), the hypothetical Labubu Movie from AI might be a trainwreck. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 18 July 2025 And why keep bringing up hypothetical failure scenarios? Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025 To confirm this connection, the astronomers ran 2,000 simulations of hypothetical triple-star systems, watching the gravitational interactions between the three stars as the systems evolved. Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hypothetical

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypothetical was in 1588

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypothetical. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

hypothetical

adjective
hy·​po·​thet·​i·​cal ˌhi-pə-ˈthet-i-kəl How to pronounce hypothetical (audio)
1
: involving a hypothesis or the making of assumptions : assumed
2
: imagined for purposes of example
a hypothetical case
hypothetically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on hypothetical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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