hypothesise

UK/haɪˈpɒθəsaɪz/US/haɪˈpɒθəsaɪz/

verbC1Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speech — hypothesis sits at #8,783Too rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

Other forms: hypothesised, hypothesises, hypothesising

To hypothesise is to propose an idea specifically so it can be tested. Hypothesise a cause, hypothesise and then check.

The testability is the whole point, which is what separates a hypothesis from a guess. Scientists hypothesise before gathering data rather than after, or the test proves nothing.

Definitions of hypothesise

1verbhypothesiseTo propose an idea specifically so it can be tested.C1
“They hypothesise that the fault is in the cooling rather than the pump.”

hypothesise is a proposing.

Also accepted in games: hypothesize

Where it comes from

Proto-Indo-European
*dʰeh₁-
Ancient Greek
ὑπόθεσις — base, basis of an argument, supposition
Latin
hypothesis
Middle French
hypothese
English
hypothesis
English, today
hypothesise

Built from

ὑποτίθημι · Ancient Greek — to set before, suggest
ὑπό · Ancient Greek — below
τίθημι · Ancient Greek — to put, place

From hypothesis + -ise. hypothesis Recorded since 1596, from Middle French hypothese, from Latin hypothesis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόθεσις (“base, basis of an argument, supposition”) literally “a placing under”, itself from ὑποτίθημι (“to set before, suggest”), from ὑπό (“below”) + τίθημι (“to put, place”). Compare hypothec.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

hypothesise

UK/haɪˈpɒθəsaɪz/US/haɪˈpɒθəsaɪz/

Other forms: hypothesised, hypothesises, hypothesising