as in theoretical
existing only as an assumption or speculation
we talked about what we would do in various hypothetical emergencies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026
This concern is not hypothetical.
—Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Adjective
Solving this particular problem about nitrogenase may not settle the debate over quantum computers just yet, but each step toward understanding the enzyme’s full chemistry makes the debate less hypothetical.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026
This concern is not hypothetical.
—Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
Noun
And after a seventh-straight loss and a second straight season left spiraling, hypotheticals could only carry USC and its coach so far.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
If hypotheticals about what could have been are a good dream for New York Knicks fans, then Mikal Bridges is the alarm clock that startles them awake.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypothetical
Adjective
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So the question is no longer theoretical.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
Their measurements closely matched theoretical predictions and simulations, validating the core physics behind the approach.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The first is the buy-back clause Real Madrid insisted upon when Paz was sold to Como; the assumption is that it will eventually be activated.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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Pla2na/Getty Images Many Americans spend decades building a retirement plan around the simple assumption that their monthly Social Security benefits will provide a reliable source of income no matter what happens with their finances or the economy.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Of course, the speculative, the surreal, the fantastic has always lent itself to intense, often other-wordly experiences of grief and upheaval.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
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Such scandals have put the spotlight on a murky (and growing) world of speculative, 24/7 transactions now filling the internet.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Even a middle school student would perceive a stark difference between someone who voices a bogus theory and someone who acts on it.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
In theory, that should be a straightforward fix.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
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One leading hypothesis suggests the polar ice was delivered during a relatively recent impact by a water-rich comet or asteroid — possibly in scale and age to the one that carved Hokusai crater, a prominent 60-mile-wide (97-kilometer-wide) crater in Mercury's northern hemisphere.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
28 May 2026
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There are three primary hypotheses for how birds might sense Earth’s geomagnetic field.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypothetical. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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