hypothetically

Hypothetically is an adverb used to indicate that a statement rests on a hypothesis or assumed premise rather than established fact. It is used to frame a scenario or argument for the sake of discussion, analysis, or testing conclusions.

The word derives from the adjective hypothetical, from Late Latin hypotheticus, via Greek hypothetikos, with roots meaning “under” and “placing” (hypo + thesis or tithenai). The adverbial form -ly attaches to create “hypothetically.”

In practice, hypothetically often introduces conditional or thought experiments: “Hypothetically, if a new drug were safe and effective, how should it be distributed?” The term signals that the following statements depend on assumptions that may not hold in reality. It is common in scientific, philosophical, and everyday discourse, and it helps distinguish speculative scenarios from claims asserted as fact.

It is distinct from terms like possible, probable, or real; a hypothetical claim is not asserted to be true, but is used to explore consequences, logic, or policy under an assumed premise. Related concepts include thought experiments, assumptions, and speculative reasoning. Hypothetically remains a standard device in academic writing, debate, and ordinary conversation as a way to discuss what could be true under alternative conditions without claiming it as fact.