Hypothetically: meaning, definitions and examples

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hypothetically

 

[ haɪpəˈθɛtɪkli ]

Adverb
Context #1 | Adverb

theoretical situation

Hypothetically refers to something that is assumed or imagined for the sake of argument or discussion. It is used to introduce a scenario that is not necessarily real but is considered for the purpose of exploration or analysis.

Synonyms

assumedly, conjecturally, supposedly, theoretically

Examples of usage

  • Hypothetically, if I won the lottery, I would travel the world.
  • Hypothetically speaking, what would happen if we all shared resources equally?
  • If we hypothetically eliminated all pollution, the planet would be healthier.

Translations

Translations of the word "hypothetically" in other languages:

🇵🇹 hipoteticamente

🇮🇳 काल्पनिक रूप से

🇩🇪 hypothetisch

🇮🇩 secara hipotetis

🇺🇦 гіпотетично

🇵🇱 hipotetycznie

🇯🇵 仮に

🇫🇷 hypothétiquement

🇪🇸 hipotéticamente

🇹🇷 hipotetik olarak

🇰🇷 가상적으로

🇸🇦 افتراضيًا

🇨🇿 hypoteticky

🇸🇰 hypoteticky

🇨🇳 假设地

🇸🇮 hipotetično

🇮🇸 hugsað

🇰🇿 гипотетикалық

🇬🇪 ჰიპოთეტურად

🇦🇿 hipotetik olaraq

🇲🇽 hipotéticamente

Word origin

The term 'hypothetically' is derived from the word 'hypothetical', which comes from the Greek word 'hypothetikos', meaning 'pertaining to a hypothesis'. A hypothesis is a proposition made as a basis for reasoning or argument. The suffix '-ally' is added to form the adverb, which indicates the manner in which something is presented. The use of 'hypothetical' in English can be traced back to the 17th century, engaging its roots in philosophical and scientific discussions where assumptions are made to test theories or to derive logical conclusions. Over time, 'hypothetically' has become a common term used in everyday language to denote scenarios that aid in problem-solving or illustrating possibilities.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #26,967, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.