hipotètic

Hipotètic is a Catalan adjective meaning related to or based on a hypothesis, or describing something assumed for the sake of argument rather than proven. It is commonly used in everyday language as well as in science, philosophy, and law to refer to scenarios, proposals, or models that are provisional and not yet verified by evidence. A hypothetical situation may be used to explore consequences or to test reasoning under certain conditions.

Etymology and related terms: The adjective derives from the concept of a hypothesis (hipòtesi), with the suffix -tic forming an adjective. The term shares its roots with terms in many languages such as English hypothetical and Spanish hipotético; in Catalan, the noun hipòtesi denotes the supposition or proposition being considered, while hipòtesis is its plural form. The adverb hypotèticament is used to describe actions done in a hypothetical manner.

Usage and nuance: Hipotètic highlights that a claim, scenario, or method is not established as fact but is contingent on further testing or assumptions. It is often contrasted with real or empirical conditions. In scientific writing, a “model hipotètic” or a “cas hipotètic” serves to illustrate how a theory might behave under specified conditions. In philosophy and logic, hypothetical arguments or syllogisms rely on hypotheticals to examine implications.

Forms: In Catalan, hipotètic inflects for gender and number (masculine singular hipotètic; feminine singular hipotètica; masculine plural hipotètics; feminine plural hipotètiques). See also hipòtesi, the related noun.

See also: hipòtesi, hipòtesis, hipotèticament.