French word

hypothèse

Pronunciation

IPA/ipotɛz/

Meaning

  • feminine nounhypothesis

Example

C'est une hypothèse intéressante.

It is an interesting hypothesis.

Illustration for hypothèse (hypothesis)

More examples

Elle a posé une hypothèse sur l'origine du problème.

She formulated a hypothesis about the origin of the problem.

Core concept

An explanation sketched for a fact while the evidence is still incomplete.

Common phrases

  • formuler une hypothèse

    formulate a hypothesis

  • partir d'une hypothèse

    start from a hypothesis

  • rejeter une hypothèse

    reject a hypothesis

Similar words

idée: A thought or inspiration that may not yet be fully developed.
supposition: An assumption made from limited information.

Definition in French

Explication provisoire proposée pour rendre compte d'un fait, soumise à vérification ou à discussion.

Word origin

French hypothèse ultimately comes from Greek hypóthesis through Latin, with hypo- meaning 'under' and thesis meaning 'placing'.

Usage tips

  • Hypothèse has a relatively formal tone, while everyday tentative statements often use je suppose or peut-être.

Other meanings

  • assumptionnoun
  • guessnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • hypothétiquehypotheticaladjective
  • hypothétiquementhypotheticallyadverb

Word lists with this word