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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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
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Internal carbon pricing can range from a purely hypothetical accounting exercise to actual spending on in-house carbon credits, the proceeds from which go into a fund tapped for carbon-cutting activities like energy efficiency upgrades or building onsite renewables.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Samuel Ganz, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025
The Displacement Is Already Happening Yang doesn’t speak in hypotheticals.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Adjective
In the latest YouGov/Yahoo survey, respondents were asked to choose between Newsom and Vice President JD Vance in a hypothetical 2028 election match-up.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Internal carbon pricing can range from a purely hypothetical accounting exercise to actual spending on in-house carbon credits, the proceeds from which go into a fund tapped for carbon-cutting activities like energy efficiency upgrades or building onsite renewables.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
For too many patients in Florida, these hypotheticals will soon become reality.
—Samuel Ganz, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2025
The Displacement Is Already Happening Yang doesn’t speak in hypotheticals.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypothetical
Noun
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This group defies old assumptions and shows why traditional generational labels may be too blunt to guide modern marketing strategies.—
Jeff Fromm,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The results challenge decades of assumptions about the virus.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This quiz invites you to journey through the golden age of literary sci-fi, where philosophical depth meets speculative wonder.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Kaluza’s solution, subsequently reused down the line by many others, was to take a speculative leap into the fifth dimension, allowing general relativity and electromagnetism to be unified together in what would become known as Kaluza-Klein theory.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The most effective education models are those that blend theory with real-world practice.—
Sanjay Srivastava,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Testing particle physics theories, the $8 billion LHC was composed of superconducting magnets that allowed scientists to study subatomic particles including protons, electrons, quarks and photons.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And many additional ideas in theoretical physics seek to add in additional symmetries, additional dimensions, additional extra particles, or additional unification frameworks.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
9 Sep. 2025
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If not, these elements of Musk’s project are likely to remain more theoretical, just as the dreams of last century’s techno-utopians did.—
Sonja Fritzsche,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Investigators initially had 12 hypotheses about what caused the deadly collapse, per The Miami Herald.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
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However, despite the appeal of this coevolution hypothesis, the evidence remains largely circumstantial.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypothetical. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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