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
One question on a sample exam Chisholm provided asks students to write a formula for determining the total number of cases during a hypothetical epidemic after a certain amount of days.
—
Melissa Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
As the keynote speaker at the Democrats’ 2025 Blue Palmetto Dinner at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, Moore hailed Clyburn, an essential figure in a hypothetical presidential run.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2025
For example, had Miami won, the hypothetical venue of Houston is indeed further from Miami than a day’s drive.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Simmons may be onto something with this hypothetical trade as the offseason gets going.
—Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
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.
Melissa Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
As the keynote speaker at the Democrats’ 2025 Blue Palmetto Dinner at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, Moore hailed Clyburn, an essential figure in a hypothetical presidential run.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2025
For example, had Miami won, the hypothetical venue of Houston is indeed further from Miami than a day’s drive.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Simmons may be onto something with this hypothetical trade as the offseason gets going.
—Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 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 5 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share