hypothosis

Noun

hypothesis (plural hypotheses)

1. A tentative conjecture explaining an observation, phenomenon or scientific problem and that can be tested by further observation, investigation, or experimentation.
   • This hypothesis goes by many names, including group resistence, the threshold effect, and the gender paradox. Because the hypothesis holds such wide appeal, it is worth revisiting the logic behind it. The hypothesis is built on the factual observation that fewer females than males act antisocially.2001 September 27, Terrie E. Moffitt, Avshalom Caspi, Michael Rutter, Phil A. Silva, Sex Differences in Antisocial Behaviour: Conduct Disorder, Delinquency, and Violence in the Dunedin Longitudinal...
2. (general) An assumption taken to be true for the purpose of argument or investigation.

   Synonyms:

   educated guess, guess, supposition, conjecture, thesis, theory[Appendix:Glossary, assumption, foreguess, given, hunch

3. The antecedent of a conditional statement.