hypothetical 1 of 2

adjective

ˌhī-pə-ˈthe-ti-kəl How to pronounce hypothetical (audio)
Definition of hypotheticalnext
as in theoretical
existing only as an assumption or speculation we talked about what we would do in various hypothetical emergencies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hypothetical

2 of 2

noun

as in assumption
something taken as being true or factual and used as a starting point for a course of action or reasoning believes that predictions of the extinction of certain species as the result of global warming are based upon too many hypotheticals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hypothetical
Adjective
Then both writers picked the hypothetical game’s winner, all in a quest to determine who really is the best. — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 The study estimated both the investment returns and taxes imposed on a hypothetical investor who held a market portfolio from 1926 to 2025. — Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
Maybe my innocent hypothetical would soon become very real. — Steven Rowley, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026 Families confronting complicated pregnancies are living through painful, high-stakes situations — not policy hypotheticals. — Robin Sautter, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypothetical
  1. theoretical
  2. assumption
  3. speculative
  4. theory
  5. hypothesis
Adjective
  • David Sloan is a theoretical physicist at Lancaster University and the Chief Scientific Officer of the Foundational Questions Institute.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Far from being a theoretical threat, at least one active attack is already exploiting the mixup.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of theoretical
Noun
  • The alternative is to allow each side’s strategy to reinforce the other’s worst assumptions until escalation begins to look less like a choice than an inevitability.
    — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Bareilles is mourning a few things — the deaths of close friends, dreams of easy fertility, assumptions of female autonomy, the American dream — but the music soars, more often than not.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of assumption
Adjective
  • Unitree’s recent slump has raised concerns about how Beijing may boost emerging strategic sectors without stoking a speculative frenzy.
    — Anniek Bao,Elaine Yu, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The premise places the film inside a debate that has moved rapidly from speculative fiction into everyday working life, but Lien’s approach leans away from techno-thriller territory.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of speculative
Noun
  • The lipstick index is an economic theory holding that sales of affordable discretionary spending or luxuries skyrocket when consumers believe an economic recession is impending.
    — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Yet Turing’s theory of computation wasn’t really about computers, at least not at first.
    — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of theory
Noun
  • Until then, readers should take these issues as interesting hypotheses and case discussions.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Data from the Forest Service tentatively confirms Finch’s hypothesis, suggesting that kudzu occupies around 227,000 acres of Southern land, just a small fraction of the millions of acres it has been said to cover.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypothesis

Browse Nearby Words

hypothesizing
hypothetical
hypotheticals
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypothetical. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All