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
David Catanese, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025
For example, children tend to think concretely and may struggle more than adults with abstract concepts like justice or hypothetical scenarios.
—Jonathan B. Santo, The Conversation, 12 May 2025
As the hypothetical solar storm worsened, the exercise participants quickly became overwhelmed with information.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 9 May 2025
Despite challenges like legacy data integration and security, digital twins promise significant operational advantages by making hypothetical scenarios feel immediate and actionable.
—Murugan Lakshmanan, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypothetical
Adjective
Last week, a poll of the hypothetical primary contest measured Donalds’ lead over Casey DeSantis at 19 percentage points when respondents were made aware of Trump’s endorsement preference.
—David Catanese, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025
For example, children tend to think concretely and may struggle more than adults with abstract concepts like justice or hypothetical scenarios.
—Jonathan B. Santo, The Conversation, 12 May 2025
As the hypothetical solar storm worsened, the exercise participants quickly became overwhelmed with information.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 9 May 2025
Despite challenges like legacy data integration and security, digital twins promise significant operational advantages by making hypothetical scenarios feel immediate and actionable.
—Murugan Lakshmanan, Forbes.com, 8 May 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 24 May. 2025.
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