hypothesis
Proposed scientific explanation
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation or prediction that can be tested.
In science, hypotheses are starting points for investigation—educated guesses that experiments may confirm or refute: The hypothesis that stress affects immune function has been tested extensively.
More loosely, hypothesis means any tentative assumption: My hypothesis is that she's avoiding us.
Belief without proof
- conjectureGuess from limited facts
- assumptionUnverified belief accepted as true
- presumptionBelief held without proof
- surmiseGuess from incomplete information
postulate · premise · guess · hunch · intuition · speculation · educated guess · inference
Demonstrated logical conclusion
- proofDemonstration of truth
- axiomSelf-evident starting principle
- postulateAssumed starting point
- corollaryLogical natural consequence
lemma · proposition · deduction · inference · premise · validity · syllogism · logical consequence
Systematic investigation procedure
- falsifiableCapable of being disproven
- testableAble to be examined
- empiricalBased on observation, not theory
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
control · variable · data · methodology · evidence · p-value · correlation · causation
Formal examination of facts
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- analysisMethodical study of parts
- explorationTraveling through unknown regions
study · examination · testing · verification · evaluation · scrutiny · critical thinking · skepticism
supposition
Belief without proof
- conjectureGuess from limited facts
- assumptionUnverified belief accepted as true
- presumptionBelief held without proof
surmise · postulate · premise · guess · hunch · intuition · speculation · educated guess · inference · theorizing
theorem
Demonstrated logical conclusion
corollary · lemma · proposition · deduction · inference · premise · validity · syllogism · logical consequence · derivation
experiment
Systematic investigation procedure
- falsifiableCapable of being disproven
- testableAble to be examined
- empiricalBased on observation, not theory
research · control · variable · data · methodology · evidence · p-value · correlation · causation · replication
investigation
Formal examination of facts
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- analysisMethodical study of parts
exploration · study · examination · testing · verification · evaluation · scrutiny · critical thinking · skepticism · empiricism
- labslab, laboratory, beakers, test tubes, microscope
- science educationscience fair, science class, science teachers, science lab, science projects
- Greek wordsalpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon
- critical thinkingcritical thinking, reasoning, logic puzzles, analysis, inference
- Philosophy of Scienceepistemology, scientific method, falsifiability, theory, empiricism
- philosophy termstruth, reason, knowledge, wisdom, logic
hypothesisevidence
Facts supporting truth
data · observation · measurement · reality · experimental result
hypothesisproof
Demonstration of truth
conclusion · demonstration · finding · result · verification
- working hypothesisTestable assumption guiding inquiry
- continuum hypothesisClaim about cardinal sizes
- Red Queen hypothesisPerpetual adaptation to survive
- null hypothesisAssumed no relationship exists
- Sapir-Whorf hypothesisLanguage influences worldview theory
- hypothesis testingStatistical method for evaluating claims
hypothesize, hypothesized, hypothesizing, hypotheses, hypothesizes