hypothetical statement

noun phrase

UK /ˌhaɪ.pəˈθet.ɪ.kəl ˈsteɪt.mənt/

US /ˌhaɪ.pəˈθet̬.ɪ.kəl ˈsteɪt.mənt/

A sentence that talks about something that might happen but is not real yet.

If I had a million dollars, I would buy a castle is a hypothetical statement.

SYNONYMS

imaginary claim supposition what-if statement assumption conjecture

RELATED WORDS

hypothesis scenario condition possibility guess

OTHER MEANINGS

2. A statement used in logic that begins with if and describes a possible situation.

The teacher wrote a hypothetical statement on the board: if it rains, the game will be canceled.

3. A claim made for the sake of argument rather than as a fact.

Let us pretend, as a hypothetical statement, that animals could talk.

4. A sentence describing an imagined event used to test an idea.

Scientists used a hypothetical statement about warmer oceans to explain their model.