What does hypothesis mean?

Definitions for hypothesis
haɪˈpɒθ ə sɪs, hɪ-; -ˌsizhy·poth·e·sis

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word hypothesis.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. hypothesisnoun

    a proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations

  2. hypothesis, possibility, theorynoun

    a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena

    "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices"

  3. guess, conjecture, supposition, surmise, surmisal, speculation, hypothesisnoun

    a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

Wiktionary

  1. hypothesisnoun

    Used loosely, a tentative conjecture explaining an observation, phenomenon or scientific problem that can be tested by further observation, investigation and/or experimentation. As a scientific term of art, see the attached quotation. Compare to theory, and quotation given there.

  2. hypothesisnoun

    An assumption taken to be true for the purpose of argument or investigation.

  3. hypothesisnoun

    The antecedent of a conditional statement.

  4. Etymology: Recorded since 1596, from hypothese, from hypothesis, from ὑπόθεσις, literally “a placing under”, itself from ὑποτίθημι, from ὑπό + τίθημι.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. HYPOTHESISnoun

    A supposition; a system formed upon some principle not proved.

    Etymology: hypothese, Fr. ὑϖόϑεσις.

    The mind casts and turns itself restlesly from one thing to another, ’till at length it brings all the ends of a long and various hypothesis together; sees how one part coheres with another, and so clears off all the appearing contrarieties that seemed to lie cross, and make the whole intelligible. Robert South, Serm.

    With imagin’d sovereignty
    Lord of his new hypothesis he reigns:
    He reigns: how long? ’till some usurper rise;
    And he too, mighty thoughtful, mighty wise,
    Studies new lines, and other circles feigns. Matthew Prior.

ChatGPT

  1. hypothesis

    A hypothesis is a proposed explanation or assumption for a specific phenomenon or set of observations, which is then tested through research or experimentation. It is a fundamental aspect of scientific investigation and serves as the basis for conducting experiments, collecting data, and reaching conclusions.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Hypothesisnoun

    a supposition; a proposition or principle which is supposed or taken for granted, in order to draw a conclusion or inference for proof of the point in question; something not proved, but assumed for the purpose of argument, or to account for a fact or an occurrence; as, the hypothesis that head winds detain an overdue steamer

  2. Hypothesisnoun

    a tentative theory or supposition provisionally adopted to explain certain facts, and to guide in the investigation of others; hence, frequently called a working hypothesis

Wikidata

  1. Hypothesis

    A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it. Scientists generally base scientific hypotheses on previous observations that cannot satisfactorily be explained with the available scientific theories. Even though the words "hypothesis" and "theory" are often used synonymously, a scientific hypothesis is not the same as a scientific theory. A scientific hypothesis is a proposed explanation of a phenomenon which still has to be rigorously tested. In contrast, a scientific theory has undergone extensive testing and is generally accepted to be the accurate explanation behind an observation. A working hypothesis is a provisionally accepted hypothesis proposed for further research. A different meaning of the term hypothesis is used in formal logic, to denote the antecedent of a proposition; thus in the proposition "If P, then Qs; Q can be called a consequent. P is the assumption in a What If question. The adjective hypothetical, meaning "having the nature of a hypothesis", or "being assumed to exist as an immediate consequence of a hypothesis", can refer to any of these meanings of the term "hypothesis".

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Hypothesis

    hī-poth′e-sis, n. a supposition: a proposition assumed for the sake of argument: a theory to be proved or disproved by reference to facts: a provisional explanation of anything.—v.i. Hypoth′esize, to form hypotheses.—adjs. Hypothet′ic, -al, belonging to a hypothesis: conditional.—adv. Hypothet′ically. [Gr., hypo, under, tithenai, to place.]

Editors Contribution

  1. hypothesis

    vulnerable guess.


    Submitted by anonymous on January 27, 2021  

Suggested Resources

  1. Hypothesis

    Hypothesis vs. Prediction -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Hypothesis and Prediction.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'hypothesis' in Nouns Frequency: #1672

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of hypothesis in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of hypothesis in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of hypothesis in a Sentence

  1. Christopher Austin:

    Our current hypothesis is that this novel and toxic physiology might have evolved to reduce or preclude the infection of blood parasites such as malaria.

  2. Ryan Demmer:

    The oral microbiome is central. My core hypothesis is that bacteria in the mouth that cause periodontal disease, are also a cause of systemic outcomes( cardiovascular disease, dementia etc.), we use periodontal measures in many of our studies because they are a surrogate marker of chronic exposure to adverse oral bacteria.

  3. George F. Will, Newsweek, July 4, 2005:

    The problem with intelligent design theory is not that it is false but that it is not falsifiable: Not being susceptible to contradicting evidence, it is not a testable hypothesis. Hence it is not a scientific but a creedal tenet--a matter of faith, unsuited to a public school's curriculum.

  4. Randall Irmis:

    A reasonable hypothesis would be that ankylosaurids from Utah are related to those found elsewhere in western North America, so we were really surprised to discover that Akainacephalus was so closely related to species from Asia.

  5. Bruce Walker:

    On the other hand, if some viruses sneak through and infect a cell ; then the body is dependent upon T cells to eliminate the virus, and therein lies the opportunity for us to rethink what we're doing in terms of vaccination -- because those T cells, at least theoretically, could be highly potent and could attenuate the disease. In other words, they wouldn't protect against infection, but they might make infections so asymptomatic that you would not notice it yourself and, in fact, you would never have enough virus in your body to transmit it to somebody else. That's the hypothesis.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

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Translations for hypothesis

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"hypothesis." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/hypothesis>.

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    directed outward; marked by interest in others or concerned with external reality
    A extroversive
    B soft-witted
    C articulate
    D ravening

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