hypothetically.

Under an assumed case or condition considered for reasoning rather than asserted as actual.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• hypothetically consider
• hypothetically suppose

On the page

Hypothetically, the conclusion would follow if the two stated conditions both held.

The analyst hypothetically considered a complete record to identify what the missing information might change.

Usage notes

Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: Invariable adverb; use more or most only where natural. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: effect assessment, evidence qualification, conditional reasoning, method comparison. Disciplines: argumentation, research interpretation, analytical writing. Commonness: moderately common.