Hypothesis

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/

Definitions

1. A testable claim or assumption regarding a phenomena is formulated to serve as a foundation for scientific investigation and experimentation
2. It represents an initial conjecture intended to explain an observed occurrence, guiding subsequent research and validation efforts
3. A proposed explanation for an observation is generated to establish a basis for further inquiry and empirical testing in a scientific context

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this word is how literal it started. In Ancient Greek, "hupothesis" meant "a placing under," a physical act of setting something beneath something else. The verb behind it, "hupotithenai," meant to lay down or set before someone, and it was often used for putting forward an argument or suggestion for others to consider. From there the word came to mean a base or foundation, theground on which an argument stands, and then a supposition: a starting point assumed for the sake of reasoning. That sense of something placed underneath as a support for further thought is what the modern scientific meaning still carries. A hypothesis is the foundation a test is built on. English took the word through Middle French and Late Latin, and it has been recorded in English since 1596. The Greek parts are "hupo," meaning below, and "tithenai," meaning to put or place.

Synonyms: theory, assumption, proposition, conjecture, premise

Antonyms: fact, certainty, truth, reality, certainty