hypothesizing
Forming tentative theories
Hypothesizing is forming a hypothesis—proposing an explanation or prediction that can be tested.
Scientists hypothesize before experimenting; detectives hypothesize about suspects.
The word implies tentative reasoning, not settled conclusion: We're just hypothesizing at this point.
More formal than guessing, less committed than theorizing.
Inferring without proof
- surmisingInferring without certainty
- guessingEstimating without certainty
- supposingConjecture as premise
- wonderingFeeling curiosity about something
pondering · musing · presuming · assuming · imagining · entertaining · considering · questioning
Concluding from evidence
- concludingBringing to an end
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- interpretingExtracting meaning from something
- analyzingExamining in detail
discerning · evaluating · diagnosing · extrapolating · deciphering · assessing · correlating · investigating
Assuming as basis for reasoning
- formulatingCreating through systematic thought
- conceptualizingForming mental representations
- modelingSimulating or demonstrating form
- abstractingCondensing to essentials
generalizing · systematizing · proposing · constructing · framing · developing · devising · architecting
Estimating future conditions
- anticipatingExpecting something to happen
- projectingExtending outward from surroundings
- estimatingForming rough calculations
- expectingAwaiting a predicted outcome
modeling · simulating · extrapolating · prognosticating · foreshadowing · envisioning · foreseeing
conjecturing
Inferring without proof
- surmisingInferring without certainty
- guessingEstimating without certainty
- supposingConjecture as premise
wondering · pondering · musing · presuming · assuming · imagining · entertaining · considering · questioning · exploring
deducing
Concluding from evidence
- concludingBringing to an end
- reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
- interpretingExtracting meaning from something
analyzing · discerning · evaluating · diagnosing · extrapolating · deciphering · assessing · correlating · investigating · ascertaining
postulating
Assuming as basis for reasoning
- formulatingCreating through systematic thought
- conceptualizingForming mental representations
- modelingSimulating or demonstrating form
abstracting · generalizing · systematizing · proposing · constructing · framing · developing · devising · architecting · structuring
forecasting
Estimating future conditions
- anticipatingExpecting something to happen
- projectingExtending outward from surroundings
- estimatingForming rough calculations
expecting · modeling · simulating · extrapolating · prognosticating · foreshadowing · envisioning · foreseeing
- cognitionthinking, reasoning, thought, cognition, remembering
- researchstudy, research papers, researching, archive, peer review
- thinking skillslogic, logical thinking, logical reasoning, reasoning, reason
- conjecturingtheorizing, speculating, conjecturing, supposing, surmising
- forecasting methodspredicting, projecting, estimating, anticipating, extrapolating
- creatingcreating, inventing, producing, generating, making
hypothesizingconcluding
Bringing to an end
proving · knowing · confirming · establishing · determining
hypothesizingdenying
Refusing to acknowledge
rejecting · dismissing · refuting · disproving · ruling out
hypothesizingobserving
Perceiving attentively
testing · experimenting · measuring · documenting · recording
hypothesis, hypothetical, hypothesize, hypothesized, hypothetically, hypotheses, hypothesizes, hypothesised, hypothesise