hypothetically
adverb
hy·po·thet·i·cal·ly
ˌhī-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē
: by making an assumption for the sake of discussion or argument : in a hypothetical way
speaking hypothetically
In this lucid report … he uses genetic differences, maps, computer simulations and an analysis of linguistic changes in the world's languages to hypothetically reconstruct the mass migrations of people across continents since modern humans first appeared.—Genevieve Stuttaford
We asked ourselves hypothetically: If the chairmen of the boards of these major tobacco companies walked in here today and said, "Okay, we're ready to do a deal," what did we want?—Lewis H. Lapham
—used to suggest what is theoretically possibleHypothetically, you could use a computer to synthesize a large number of harmonics, add them back together, and reproduce a sound similar to that of the bowed violin string.—Dragan Huterer
Cite this Entry
“Hypothetically.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypothetically. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.
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