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 of hypothetical

• theoretical
• speculative

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

In turn, some housing advocates insist that Vessel’s critics — especially in affluent suburbs with restrictive zoning — are merely practicing NIMBYism in disguise, conjuring up hypothetical or far-fetched traffic or groundwater threats to justify refusing zoning permits. —Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026

Those worries are not hypothetical. —Mukund Jha, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026

The majority, rather than being rattled by a president who had attempted a coup, labored to protect the country from the hypothetical danger of a presidency rendered impotent by specious criminal prosecutions. —Gregg Nunziata, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026

That’s not a hypothetical concern. —Elliot Cosgrove, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hypothetical

• alphabetical
• antithetical
• arithmetical
• catechetical
• exegetical
• homiletical
• parenthetical
• theoretical
• aesthetical
• genetical
• heretical
• magnetical

Kids 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

hypothetically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb