hypothesis
/haɪˈpɒθ.ə.sɪs/(noun)
AWL Sublist 4CEFR B2IELTS Band 7.0 - 9.0
Academic Definition
A proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
Key Academic Collocations
Click to copyWord Family & Derivatives
hypothesishypotheseshypothesizehypotheticalhypothetically
Lexical Alternatives (Synonyms)
theoryconjecturepremisepostulatesupposition
Academic Sample Sentences in Context
"Laboratory trials were carefully structured to test the hypothesis that regular caffeine intake enhances short-term memory recall."
"The field research data refuted the initial hypothesis, revealing that bird migration paths had shifted westward."
"Epidemiologists formulated a working hypothesis linking localized water contamination to elevated gastrointestinal illnesses."
IELTS Examiner Scoring Strategy (Lexical Resource)
Irregular plural: 'one hypothesis' vs 'several hypotheses'. Use 'test the hypothesis' in science essays.