hypothetically
adverb
hy·po·thet·i·cal·ly
ˌhī-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē 
: by making an assumption for the sake of discussion or argument : in a hypothetical way
speaking hypothetically
In this lucid report … he uses genetic differences, maps, computer simulations and an analysis of linguistic changes in the world's languages to hypothetically reconstruct the mass migrations of people across continents since modern humans first appeared.—
Genevieve Stuttaford
Genevieve StuttafordWe asked ourselves hypothetically: If the chairmen of the boards of these major tobacco companies walked in here today and said, "Okay, we're ready to do a deal," what did we want?—Lewis H. Lapham
—used to suggest what is theoretically possibleLewis H. LaphamHypothetically, you could use a computer to synthesize a large number of harmonics, add them back together, and reproduce a sound similar to that of the bowed violin string.—Dragan Huterer
Dragan HutererExamples of hypothetically in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The research paves the way for a future in which a diverse set of crops is able to be grown on the moon when humans are hypothetically living there, Atkin said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
That means Miami hypothetically could offer the Bucks the player that Miami drafts in June as well as all future tradeable first-round picks (which would be three, beyond 2026, if Miami makes the playoffs next season and two otherwise).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
The bank would only speak hypothetically about when the bank closes accounts and its reasons for closing accounts, citing bank privacy laws.
—Ken Sweet, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
The bank would only speak hypothetically about when the bank closes accounts and its reasons for closing accounts, citing bank privacy laws.
—Ken Sweet, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hypothetically
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Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026
That means Miami hypothetically could offer the Bucks the player that Miami drafts in June as well as all future tradeable first-round picks (which would be three, beyond 2026, if Miami makes the playoffs next season and two otherwise).
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
The bank would only speak hypothetically about when the bank closes accounts and its reasons for closing accounts, citing bank privacy laws.
—Ken Sweet, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
The bank would only speak hypothetically about when the bank closes accounts and its reasons for closing accounts, citing bank privacy laws.
—Ken Sweet, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hypothetically
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypothetically. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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