Sample sentences for HYPOTHESIS

2 meanings

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1 —as in:
a study to test her hypothesis

Definition

a seemingly reasonable, but unproven idea or explanation based upon known facts

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

Other Uses (with this meaning)

He hypothesized the existence of Pluto before its discovery.

hypothesized = proposed a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, idea

(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.)

Hypothesis, demonstration, conclusion, if A then not B.
Margaret Atwood -- Oryx and Crake

hypothesis = an idea to be tested

The hypothesis here proved may be described most simply in the following terms: Artificially-induced intelligence deteriorates at a rate of time directly proportional to the quantity of the increase.
Daniel Keyes -- Flowers for Algernon — Novel

hypothesis = theory or belief (based upon limited evidence)

["short man's complex" or "unresolved Oedipal conflict"] Although there may be some truth in both hypotheses, this sort of posthumous off-the-rack psychoanalysis is a dubious, highly speculative enterprise that inevitably demeans and trivializes the absent analysand.
Jon Krakauer -- Into the Wild

hypotheses = ideas that are seemingly reasonable, but unproven

But supplementary to this, it has hypothetically occurred to me, that...
Herman Melville -- Moby Dick

hypothetically = based on an idea that seems reasonable, but is unproven

"There's a market for Rearden Metal and I intend to take full advantage of it."
"Isn't the market somewhat hypothetical? The public response to your metal has not been encouraging."
Ayn Rand -- Atlas Shrugged

hypothetical = based on assumptions rather than facts

No amount of your analyzing, criticizing, judging, or hypothesizing will bring the peace you are looking for.
Jon Krakauer -- Into Thin Air

hypothesizing = proposing seemingly reasonable, but unproven, ideas

(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.)

We've made some hypotheses, some suppositions, but nobody really knows what the nests were like.
Michael Crichton -- Jurassic Park

hypotheses = ideas that are seemingly reasonable, but unproven

So do their counterparts, so we can hypothesize that those are weapons or countermeasures against him.
Nora Roberts -- Blood Brothers

hypothesize = propose a seemingly reasonable, but unproven, idea based upon known facts

(editor's note: The suffix "-ive" converts a word to a verb. This is the same pattern you see in words like apologize, theorize, and dramatize.)

Dictionary / pronunciation — Google^®Dictionary list — Onelook.com^®

2 —as in:
assume as a working hypothesis

Definition

something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation

For the purpose of discussion, let's accept that the hypothesis that she is guilty is 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

Other Uses (with this meaning)

Hypothetically speaking, if the company did downside 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

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 = something 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.

hypothetically = based on something that is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation

His extreme love of solitude in England suggests the idea that he was in fear of someone or something, so we may assume as a working hypothesis that it was fear of someone or something which drove him from America.
Arthur Conan Doyle -- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

hypothesis = something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation

  "Let's say I was smoking pot," Josie said.
  Her mother froze. "Is there something you want to tell me, Josie?"
  "God, Mom, I'm not doing it. This is hypothetical."
Jodi Picoult -- Nineteen Minutes

hypothetical = something temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation

Now she had a working hypothesis.
Terry Pratchett -- Nation

hypothesis = something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation

Well, we will take it as a working hypothesis for want of a better.
Arthur Conan Doyle -- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

hypothesis = something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigation

Hypothetical scenarios were a favourite thing of Crake's.
Margaret Atwood -- Oryx and Crake

hypothetical = temporarily treating something as true to advance discussion

This isn't just hypothetical. It's actually happened before that people got caught.
Barbara Kingsolver -- The Bean Trees

hypothetical = something that has not happened, but could reasonably be expected to happen and is treated as though it did to advance conversation

Dictionary / pronunciation — Google^®Dictionary list — Onelook.com^®

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