hypothetically

/ˌhaɪpəˈθetɪkli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌhaɪpəˈθetɪkli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌhī-pə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē/ (ame, mw)

hypothetically — adverb

1. used when talking about a situation, choice, or event that you are only imaginin

1.副詞C1
釋義

used when talking about a situation, choice, or event that you are only imagining as a way to think it through, not one that has actually happened or been decided.

例句

Hypothetically, if Ignacio were offered a job in Lisbon, would you both move with him?

hypothetically + if-clause for imagined scenarios

The lawyer asked the witness to answer hypothetically about what a careful driver would do.

answer / talk + hypothetically

同義詞
  • theoretically

    stronger focus on what a theory or principle predicts, not just an imagined case

  • in theory

    everyday paraphrase; often contrasted with 'in practice'

  • supposedly

    different meaning — refers to what others claim, not what you are imagining

反義詞
  • actually

    marks what really happened rather than an imagined case

  • in practice

    describes how something works in the real world, not in a thought experiment

文法句型

hypothetically + clause

hypothetically speaking

用法筆記

Typically a sentence adverb at the start of a clause or set off by commas; signals that the speaker is inviting reasoning about an imagined case rather than asserting a fact. Frequently paired with a conditional 'if'-clause or with modal verbs like 'could', 'would', 'might'.

常見錯誤

❌I hypothetically went to Paris last summer.
✅Hypothetically, I would go to Paris next summer.
💡'hypothetically' frames an imagined or possible case, not something that really happened.
❌The bridge collapsed hypothetically last night.
✅Suppose, hypothetically, that the bridge collapsed last night.
💡don't attach 'hypothetically' to a real past event; use it to flag a thought experiment.