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
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
This is purely hypothetical, mind you.
—
Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
Denholm also said she isn’t entirely sold on the idea of Tesla investing in Musk’s xAI, a hypothetical that shareholders will vote on at the company’s annual meeting in November.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Heather Khalifa/Getty Images Hochul now leads Stefanik 52-27 percent in a hypothetical gubernatorial matchup, up from 45-31 percent in August.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
For Hinton and others, this is less a hypothetical scenario than an approaching reality for which societies remain unprepared.
—Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
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Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
Denholm also said she isn’t entirely sold on the idea of Tesla investing in Musk’s xAI, a hypothetical that shareholders will vote on at the company’s annual meeting in November.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Heather Khalifa/Getty Images Hochul now leads Stefanik 52-27 percent in a hypothetical gubernatorial matchup, up from 45-31 percent in August.
—Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
For Hinton and others, this is less a hypothetical scenario than an approaching reality for which societies remain unprepared.
—Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypothetical. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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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