What does hypotheses mean?
Hypotheses are tentative explanations, propositions, or assumptions put forward for investigation. In scientific and academic writing, a hypothesis usually proposes a possible relationship or explanation that can be assessed through evidence, observation, experimentation, or reasoning. The plural form, hypotheses, is especially common when discussing alternatives, testing ideas, or describing the uncertain starting assumptions of an inquiry. Hypotheses differ from established findings: they are preliminary claims intended to be examined, not conclusions already demonstrated to be true. The word is formal and appears frequently in research, medicine, economics, statistics, and other fields that rely on systematic analysis. It can also be used more broadly when people discuss possible explanations for social, historical, or personal phenomena. Its Latin and Greek ancestry reflects the long tradition of philosophy and science in which claims are treated as foundations that can be established, revised, or overturned.
nounA set of tentative explanations or propositions offered as the basis for further investigation, especially in science, academic research, or formal reasoning. Hypotheses are evaluated against evidence and may be supported, revised, or rejected.
- Tentative explanations or propositions proposed for investigation, especially in science, scholarship, or systematic reasoning.
"The researchers tested several competing hypotheses to explain the decline in the population."
"The study examined three hypotheses concerning the relationship between sleep and memory."
"His competing hypotheses led to a lively discussion among the research team."
The standard plural is hypotheses; the singular is hypothesis.
"Several hypotheses were considered before the researchers selected the most promising one."
The plural is an elegant exception to the usual English pattern: hypotheses ends in -ses, while its singular changes to hypothesis.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hypotheses come from?
The word comes through Latin from Greek ὑπόθεσις (hypóthesis), meaning “foundation” or “supposition” and associated with placing an idea beneath further consideration. Its Greek formation is related to hypo- meaning “under” and a verb meaning “to place,” reflecting the idea of setting something underneath as a basis. The English singular hypothesis developed from this source, and the plural hypotheses was formed by adding the regular -es ending to a singular ending in -sis. Related English forms such as hypothesize and hypothetical preserve the same scholarly root.
Related word forms
How hypotheses is actually used
The word is formal and especially common in scientific, academic, and analytical contexts. It generally refers to claims that remain open to testing rather than established conclusions.