hypothesis
This term carries a clinical, academic weight that distinguishes it from a simple guess or a hunch. It implies a structured approach to discovery where a claim is intentionally designed to be tested, proven, or refuted through empirical evidence. In a professional or scientific setting, using this word signals a commitment to the scientific method. While a theory is a well-substantiated explanation, a hypothesis is the tentative, fragile precursor that exists before the data has been fully gathered.
Countable when referring to specific individual theories being tested in a lab, such as three competing hypotheses for the crash.
Meanings
A proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.
"The scientists formulated a hypothesis about the cause of the mutation."