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
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
Expats Ann and Bunny would have to voyage back across the Atlantic to benefit, but there’s a perverse joy in knowing that our crazy lady would have double the voting rights in Vance’s hypothetical.
—
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 2 Aug. 2024
The scale organizes hypothetical civilizations into three categories.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2024
But this Giants regime does not have the luxury of treating its third season as a disappointing and incomplete on-ramp to some hypothetical promise in 2025 or 2026.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 July 2024
Though Rubio’s ascension to secretary of state remains a hypothetical scenario that depends on a number of circumstances, including Trump winning in November, the possibility has already set off talk about who would succeed the senator.
—Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for hypothetical 
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 2 Aug. 2024
The scale organizes hypothetical civilizations into three categories.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2024
But this Giants regime does not have the luxury of treating its third season as a disappointing and incomplete on-ramp to some hypothetical promise in 2025 or 2026.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 July 2024
Though Rubio’s ascension to secretary of state remains a hypothetical scenario that depends on a number of circumstances, including Trump winning in November, the possibility has already set off talk about who would succeed the senator.
—Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for hypothetical
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hypothetical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hypothetical
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypothetical. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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