hypothesize

verb

hy·​poth·​e·​size hī-ˈpä-thə-ˌsīz 

hypothesized; hypothesizing

intransitive verb

: to make a hypothesis

transitive verb

: to adopt as a hypothesis

Synonyms of hypothesize

• say
• assume
• presume
• believe
• think

Examples of hypothesize in a Sentence

Psychologists hypothesized that his odd behavior was caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

if we hypothesize that current population trends continue for the next 50 years

Recent Examples on the Web

Before the games kicked off, my colleague Christopher Bonanos hypothesized that if all went swimmingly, this World Cup traffic experiment could be a test for future action. — John Surico, Curbed, 24 July 2026

The study hypothesizes that the supergiant reversion may trigger a cool-down period. — Jay Kakade july 23, Refractor, 23 July 2026

DePodesta hypothesized that playing catcher at altitude can potentially influence a hitter on offense, lending credence to the idea that his game might be more complete elsewhere. — Sam Blum, New York Times, 22 July 2026

While pinning down the exact reason why these states buck the trend is difficult, Hoell hypothesized the region’s unique summer monsoon rains could alleviate the risk. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1738, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for hypothesize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

hypothesize

verb

hy·​poth·​e·​size hī-ˈpäth-ə-ˌsīz 

hypothesized; hypothesizing

1

: to make a hypothesis

2

: to adopt as a hypothesis