as in theoretic
existing only as an assumption or speculation
we talked about what we would do in various hypothetical emergencies
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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
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Recent Examples of hypothetical
Gerry Regep, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2025
But 80 years to the week after American and European allies forced the surrender of Nazi Germany, a future in which the continent is left alone to defend itself from the Russian menace is no longer hypothetical.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
This means that your family and friends could use your Goby to explore the expansive Lego village in your basement, as just one hypothetical example.
—New Atlas, 28 Apr. 2025
These aren’t hypothetical scenarios, but active use cases in pilot programs around the world.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Adjective
The question remains: Can a university truly be a marketplace of ideas if a professor risks being sanctioned for using hypothetical scenarios that reflect the messy, uncomfortable realities their students may face?
—Gerry Regep, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2025
But 80 years to the week after American and European allies forced the surrender of Nazi Germany, a future in which the continent is left alone to defend itself from the Russian menace is no longer hypothetical.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
This means that your family and friends could use your Goby to explore the expansive Lego village in your basement, as just one hypothetical example.
—New Atlas, 28 Apr. 2025
These aren’t hypothetical scenarios, but active use cases in pilot programs around the world.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypothetical
Noun
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Eaton derives roughly 17% of its total revenues from data centers, according to the company’s 2025 growth assumptions.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
9 May 2025
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Employees who challenge assumptions often face resistance from peers and leadership.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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Biden's attorney jumped in to clarify that Hur's team had asked a speculative question that did not reflect Biden's initial answer.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
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Any financial instruments mentioned herein are speculative in nature and may involve risk to principal and interest.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
12 May 2025
Noun
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One theory raised was that the boat capsized after being struck by a waterspout (which refers to a tornado over the water), though there may have been more factors at play that contributed to the sinking.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
12 May 2025
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One theory suggests Mars lost its water to space as solar wind stripped it from the atmosphere — a process supported by ratios of isotopes on the Red Planet, or distinct species of chemical elements, seen today.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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For stock market investors, the equity risk premium is the theoretical excess return of stocks over risk-free assets to account for market risk.—
,
CNBC,
19 May 2025
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Think of the 60 plus percentage rates advertised in the press as the ceiling or the theoretical maximum reimbursement rates.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
Noun
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For this storm, my immediate hypothesis was related to dry conditions and outflow boundaries racing northward from thunderstorms to the south.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
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According to one popular hypothesis, the pot had eventually boiled over: after eons of frustrated heating, some 800 million years ago, the planet’s outer shell buckled, and Venus’s entire surface was paved over with immense outpourings of fresh lava.—
Elise Cutts,
Scientific American,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypothetical. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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