hypotheticalnetwork
nounUK /ˌhaɪpəˈθɛtɪkəl ˈnɛtwɜːk/
US /ˌhaɪpəˈθɛtɪkəl ˈnɛtwɝk/
A pretend set of connected things that someone makes up to imagine how they might work.
The scientists drew a hypothetical network on the board to show how the computers could talk to each other.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A network that is assumed to exist for the purpose of a thought experiment or calculation.
In the hypothetical network, every node was connected to every other node.
3. A proposed or planned network that has not yet been built.
The engineers studied a hypothetical network of sensors before buying any equipment.
4. A set of people imagined to be linked, used to test how information might spread.
They used a hypothetical network of friends to see how rumors travel.