hypothetical
    adj 1: based primarily on surmise rather than adequate evidence;
           "theories about the extinction of dinosaurs are still
           highly conjectural"; "the supposed reason for his
           absence"; "suppositious reconstructions of dead
           languages"; "hypothetical situation" [syn: conjectural,
           divinatory, hypothetical, hypothetic, supposed,
           suppositional, suppositious, supposititious]
    n 1: a hypothetical possibility, circumstance, statement,
         proposal, situation, etc.; "consider the following, just as
         a hypothetical"

Hypothetic \Hy`po*thet"ic\, Hypothetical \Hy`po*thet"ic*al\, a.
   [L. hypotheticus, Gr. ?: cf. F. hypoth['e]tique.]
   Characterized by, or of the nature of, an hypothesis;
   conditional; assumed without proof, for the purpose of
   reasoning and deducing proof, or of accounting for some fact
   or phenomenon.
   [1913 Webster]

         Causes hypothetical at least, if not real, for the
         various phenomena of the existence of which our
         experience informs us.                   --Sir W.
                                                  Hamilton.
   [1913 Webster]

   Hypothetical baptism (Ch. of Eng.), baptism administered to
      persons in respect to whom it is doubtful whether they
      have or have not been baptized before. --Hook. --
      Hy`po*thet"ic*al*ly, adv. --South.
      [1913 Webster]