Meaning & use

hypothesis

noun·Academic

A proposed explanation that can be tested using observations or an investigation.

See it in a sentence

Our hypothesis was that the seedlings would grow taller with more light.

The experiment produced results that did not support the hypothesis.

A note on using this word

The plural is hypotheses. A hypothesis is testable; supporting results do not make it permanently certain.

Words with a similar meaning

proposed explanation

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hypothesis”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.