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hypothetic

- 3 dictionary results

hy⋅po⋅thet⋅i⋅cal

  [hahy-puh-thet-i-kuhl]
Use hypothetic in a Sentence
–adjective
1. assumed by hypothesis; supposed: a hypothetical case.
2. of, pertaining to, involving, or characterized by hypothesis: hypothetical reasoning.
3. given to making hypotheses.
4. Logic.
a. (of a proposition) highly conjectural; not well supported by available evidence.
b. (of a proposition or syllogism) conditional.
–noun
5. a hypothetical situation, instance, etc.: The Secretary of Defense refused to discuss hypotheticals with the reporters.
Also, hy⋅po⋅thet⋅ic (for defs. 1–4).

Origin:
1580–90; < Gk hypothetik(ós) supposed (hypo- hypo- + the- put (base of tithénai to put, do 1 ) + -tikos -tic ) + -al 1

Related forms:
hy⋅po⋅thet⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. suppositional, theoretical, speculative.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To hypothetic
hy·po·thet·i·cal   (hī'pə-thět'ĭ-kəl)   
adj.  
  1. Of, relating to, or based on a hypothesis: a hypothetical situation. See Synonyms at theoretical.
    1. Suppositional; uncertain. See Synonyms at supposed.
    2. Conditional; contingent.
n.  A hypothetical circumstance, condition, scenario, or situation: OK, let's consider this possibility then—just as a hypothetical.

[From Greek hupothetikos, from hupothetos, placed under, supposed, from hupotithenai, to suppose; see hypothesis.]
hy'po·thet'i·cal n., hy'po·thet'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Hypothetic

Hy`po*thet"ic\, Hypothetical \Hy`po*thet"ic*al\, a. [L. hypotheticus, Gr. ?: cf. F. hypoth['e]tique.] Characterized by, or of the nature of, an hypothesis; conditional; assumed without proof, for the purpose of reasoning and deducing proof, or of accounting for some fact or phenomenon.

Causes hypothetical at least, if not real, for the various phenomena of the existence of which our experience informs us. --Sir W. Hamilton.

Hypothetical baptism (Ch. of Eng.), baptism administered to persons in respect to whom it is doubtful whether they have or have not been baptized before. --Hook. -- Hy`po*thet"ic*al*ly, adv. --South.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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