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
Aaron Mendes, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
In a hypothetical military dustup between the two members of NATO, Denmark could invoke the alliance’s sacred mutual-defense clause against the U.S. Article 5 states that an attack on one is an attack on all.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jan. 2025
In a hypothetical exercise, writers at The Athletic covering teams that could be interested in Hill came up with four potential trade offers, and national NFL writer Mike Jones provided an answer from the Dolphins.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
These harms are inextricable from the idea of superintelligence, because experts do not currently know how to align these hypothetical systems with human values.
—Tharin Pillay, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hypothetical 
Adjective
These hypothetical risks underscore the critical need for safeguards to ensure fairness and transparency in the use of such technologies.
—Aaron Mendes, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
In a hypothetical military dustup between the two members of NATO, Denmark could invoke the alliance’s sacred mutual-defense clause against the U.S. Article 5 states that an attack on one is an attack on all.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jan. 2025
In a hypothetical exercise, writers at The Athletic covering teams that could be interested in Hill came up with four potential trade offers, and national NFL writer Mike Jones provided an answer from the Dolphins.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
These harms are inextricable from the idea of superintelligence, because experts do not currently know how to align these hypothetical systems with human values.
—Tharin Pillay, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hypothetical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypothetical
Noun
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Somehow, the assumptions of this defense attorney have been treated with credence over the word of a veteran assistant state’s attorney dedicated to public service.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2025
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Maryland’s green energy plan assumptions are a fantasy.—
David T. Stevenson,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Or does its unlikely real-world utility qualify it as an art project, meant to exist mostly in the realm of the speculative, or of aspirational ideals?—
Oskar Oprey,
Artforum,
28 Jan. 2025
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The meltdown of the office market in the years after the coronavirus outbreak, however, rendered a speculative office development unfeasible.—
George Avalos,
The Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The theory dates to An Emerging Democratic Majority, an influential 2002 book by political scientists John B. Judis and Ruy Teixeira.—
Jane Hong / Made by History,
TIME,
24 Jan. 2025
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All three men were national and international icons whose assassinations — and the theories swirling around them — became the stuff of books, movies, controversy, and the pages of history itself.—
Michael Loria,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The newspaper was referring to Planet Nine, a theoretical planet at the edge of the solar system.—
Ailsa Harvey,
Space.com,
17 Jan. 2025
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Martin Karplus, a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical chemist who used computers to model how complex systems change during chemical reactions, died last month at 94.—
Natasha Frost,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Autonomous agents can analyze vast datasets, generate hypotheses and assist researchers in making breakthroughs.—
Michele Zanello,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2025
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The analysis supported the hypothesis that there are different origins for repeating and non-repeating FRBs.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hypothetical
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypothetical. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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