'Hypothesis' definitions:
Definition of 'hypothesis'
From: WordNet
noun
A proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations
noun
A tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices" [syn: hypothesis, possibility, theory]
noun
A message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence [syn: guess, conjecture, supposition, surmise, surmisal, speculation, hypothesis]
Definition of 'Hypothesis'
From: GCIDE
- Hypothesis \Hy*poth"e*sis\, n.; pl. Hypotheses. [NL., fr. Gr. ? foundation, supposition, fr. ? to place under, ? under + ? to put. See Hypo-, Thesis.]
- 1. A supposition; a proposition or principle which is supposed or taken for granted, in order to draw a conclusion or inference for proof of the point in question; something not proved, but assumed for the purpose of argument, or to account for a fact or an occurrence; as, the hypothesis that head winds detain an overdue steamer. [1913 Webster]
- An hypothesis being a mere supposition, there are no other limits to hypotheses than those of the human imagination. --J. S. Mill. [1913 Webster]
- 2. (Natural Science) A tentative theory or supposition provisionally adopted to explain certain facts, and to guide in the investigation of others; hence, frequently called a working hypothesis.
- Syn: Supposition; assumption. See Theory. [1913 Webster]
- Nebular hypothesis. See under Nebular. Hypothetic
Synonyms of 'hypothesis'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- a priori principle,
- affirmation,
- apriorism,
- assertion,
- assumed position,
- assumption,
- axiom,
- basis,
- categorical proposition,
- conjecture,
- data,
- first principles,
- foundation,
- ground,
- guesswork,
- hypothesis ad hoc,
- inference,
- lemma,
- major premise,
- minor premise,
- philosopheme,
- philosophical proposition,
- position,
- postulate,
- postulation,
- postulatum,
- premise,
- premiss,
- presumption,
- presupposal,
- presupposition,
- proposition,
- propositional function,
- set of postulates,
- speculation,
- statement,
- sumption,
- supposal,
- supposing,
- supposition,
- surmise,
- theorem,
- theory,
- thesis,
- truth table,
- truth-function,
- truth-value,
- working hypothesis