dynamic
toggle menu
menu
vocabulary
1000+ books

hypothesis
in a sentence
grouped by contextual meaning

hypothesis as in:  a study to test her hypothesis

•
The study will test the hypothesis that a good marriage is more important than a higher income when measuring happiness.
hypothesis = a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, idea
Show 3 more with this contextual meaning
  • •
    He hypothesized the existence of Pluto before its discovery.
    hypothesized = proposed a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, idea
    standard suffix: The suffix "-ize" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.
  • •
    Rosellini appeared to accept the failure of his hypothesis with equanimity.  (source)
    hypothesis = unproven idea
  • •
    If she hadn't witnessed a phenomenon with her own eyes, then as far as she was concerned it was a hypothesis.  (source)
    hypothesis = a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, idea or explanation
▲ show less (of above)
Show 10 more with 9 word variations
  • •
    According to your hypothesis, there should be another observable situation: The sun must get smaller than it usually appears but bigger than a flying star, and gradually shrink into a flying star as it moves farther away.  (source)
    hypothesis = theory
  • •
    We've made some hypotheses, some suppositions, but nobody really knows what the nests were like.  (source)
    hypotheses = ideas that are seemingly reasonable, but unproven
  • •
    But that was hypothetical.  (source)
    hypothetical = based on a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, explanation of known facts
    standard suffix: Nouns like hypothesis become adjectives by first changing "-sis" to "-tic," forming hypothetic. Then, the more common adjectival ending "-al" is added, giving us hypothetical. This pattern also applies to words like parenthetical and analytical.
  • •
    "Oh, that's right," said Joe, "we were speaking hypothetically, weren't we?"  (source)
    hypothetically = based on an imagined situation (not a real situation)
    standard suffix: Nouns like hypothesis become adjectives by first changing "-sis" to "-tic," forming hypothetic. Then, the more common adjectival ending "-al" is added, giving us hypothetical. Finally the suffix, "-ly" converts the adjective to an adverb. This pattern also applies to words like parenthetically and analytically.
  • •
    Local police ignored the obvious evidence that the death-was a hate crime and hypothesized that Donald must have been involved in drug dealing, which his mother adamantly denied.  (source)
    hypothesized = proposed a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, idea
    standard suffix: The suffix "-ize" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.
  • •
    "...another man, who may flatter himself that he has a hold on her regard, might succeed in winning that firm place in her love as well as respect which you had let slip. ..." ... He had a horrible conviction that behind all this hypothetic statement there was a knowledge of some actual change in Mary's feeling.  (source)
    hypothetic = possible or potential
    standard suffix: Nouns like hypothesis become adjectives by changing "-sis" to "-tic," forming hypothetic. This pattern also applies to words like parenthetic and analytic.
  • •
    And so I asked lots of data-seeking questions, and found myself hypothesizing along with my doctors.  (source)
    hypothesizing = proposing reasonable, but unproven, ideas
  • •
    So do their counterparts, so we can hypothesize that those are weapons or countermeasures against him.  (source)
    hypothesize = propose a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, idea based upon known facts
  • •
    This theory hypothesizes that Ross and Christine Hargensen (see pp. 1-18) were at the center of a loose conspiracy to get Carrie White to the Spring Ball, and, once there, complete her humiliation.  (source)
    hypothesizes = proposes a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, idea
  • •
    In time "Hillari's Hypothesis" (so called by Kevin) about Stargirl's origins gave way to other theories.  (source)
    Hypothesis = theory
▲ show less (of above)

hypothesis as in:  assume as a working hypothesis

•
For the purpose of discussion, let's accept that the hypothesis that she is guilty as true. What would we have expected her to do after the incident?
hypothesis = something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
Show 3 more with this contextual meaning
  • •
    Instead of talking about her specific situation, I asked her to consider a hypothetical situation with similar circumstances. It helped her to keep emotions under control as she thought about everyone's point-of-view.
    hypothetical = of something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
  • •
    Hypothetically speaking, if the company did downsize and you lost your job, what would you do?
    hypothetically = based on something that is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
  • •
    Hypothetically speaking, if the stock market is efficient, we would expect indexed mutual funds to perform as well as managed mutual funds, but with less overhead.
▲ show less (of above)
Show 10 more with 4 word variations
  • •
    I had a highly hypothetical conversation with the tip line, and they said that the reward is coming from the company, not the police, so it's up to the company to decide what is relevant, and that the reward would only be given out after they found Pickett.  (source)
    hypothetical = based on something temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
    standard suffix: Nouns like hypothesis become adjectives by first changing "-sis" to "-tic," forming hypothetic. Then, the more common adjectival ending "-al" is added, giving us hypothetical. This pattern also applies to words like parenthetical and analytical.
  • •
    "All the park fences carry ten thousand volts. The animals quickly learn not to go near them." "But if one did get out?" Gennaro said. Arnold snorted, and stubbed out his cigarette. "Just hypothetically," Gennaro said. "Supposing it happened?"  (source)
    hypothetically = based on something that is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
    standard suffix: Nouns like hypothesis become adjectives by first changing "-sis" to "-tic," forming hypothetic. Then, the more common adjectival ending "-al" is added, giving us hypothetical. Finally the suffix, "-ly" converts the adjective to an adverb. This pattern also applies to words like parenthetically and analytically.
  • •
    Now she had a working hypothesis.  (source)
    hypothesis = something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
  • •
    "I don't trouble myself with hypotheticals," answered Lieutenant Issaaia.  (source)
    hypotheticals = things that are temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
    standard suffix: Nouns like hypothesis become adjectives by first changing "-sis" to "-tic," forming hypothetic. Then, the more common adjectival ending "-al" is added, giving us hypothetical. When the suffix "-s" is added, it becomes a plural noun.
  • •
    "Of course," he muttered, "this is all hypothetical, what we're discussing, isn't it?"  (source)
    hypothetical = of something temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion
  • •
    I'd been speaking hypothetically about moving to New York a year early.  (source)
    hypothetically = based on something that is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
  • •
    And if we take this as a working hypothesis we have a fresh basis from which to start our construction of this unknown visitor.  (source)
    hypothesis = something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
  • •
    What you're giving me back is a set of hypotheticals.†  (source)
    hypotheticals = things that may or may not be true, but are temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation
  • •
    "This is a purely hypothetical question," I said.  (source)
    hypothetical = imagined (not a real situation)
  • •
    "Just one exception," he corrected, "hypothetically."  (source)
    hypothetically = based on something that is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion
▲ show less (of above)