noun · academic
hypothesis
UK/haɪˈpɒθəsɪs/US/haɪˈpɑːθəsɪs/hy·POTH·e·sis
a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation
Examples
“The data supported the original hypothesis that the new method improves retention.”
“They formulated several hypotheses to test during the experiment.”
“Rejecting a hypothesis does not mean the study failed; it refines understanding.”
Band 8 sentence
“The researchers proposed a plausible hypothesis linking urban noise exposure to reduced cognitive performance, which they then tested longitudinally.”
Collocations
- formulate a hypothesis
- test a hypothesis
- support/refute a hypothesis
Word family
Common mistakes
We make a hypothesis that...→We put forward a hypothesis that...
The hypothesis are tested.→The hypothesis is tested.
Say it for a higher band
5guess→6assumption→7+hypothesis
Synonyms
theory
assumption
Easily confused
theory
“Darwin's theory of natural selection explains a wide range of observations.”
Related words
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