hypothetically
adverb
hy·po·thet·i·cal·ly
ˌhī-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 
: 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
Genevieve StuttafordWe 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 possibleLewis H. LaphamHypothetically, 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
Dragan HutererExamples of hypothetically in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
So of course, they would hypothetically still be involved in the world.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 29 Jan. 2026
Also, imagine which teams might’ve outspent these Hoosiers, then gone 7-6 and fired Brian Kelly, hypothetically.
—Jason Kirk, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Lower fuel and maintenance costs can't always overcome that up-front sticker shock, even for people who are hypothetically interested in buying.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
That could hypothetically have meant that a 2019 investigation into the son's suspicious associates, confirmed Monday by Albanese, would have disqualify the father from owning a gun.
—CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetically
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Jennifer Maas, Variety, 29 Jan. 2026
Also, imagine which teams might’ve outspent these Hoosiers, then gone 7-6 and fired Brian Kelly, hypothetically.
—Jason Kirk, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Lower fuel and maintenance costs can't always overcome that up-front sticker shock, even for people who are hypothetically interested in buying.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 29 Dec. 2025
That could hypothetically have meant that a 2019 investigation into the son's suspicious associates, confirmed Monday by Albanese, would have disqualify the father from owning a gun.
—CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetically
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypothetically. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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