working hypothesis
Provisional explanatory guess
A working hypothesis is a provisional explanation or assumption that guides investigation or action while remaining open to revision.
Unlike a firm conclusion, it serves as a starting point—something to test against evidence rather than defend.
Scientists adopt working hypotheses to design experiments; detectives use them to direct inquiries.
Our working hypothesis is that the server crash was caused by the recent update, but we're still gathering data.
The term emphasizes tentativeness and practical utility over certainty.
- postulateAssumed starting point
- guesstimationRough estimate without data
- educated guessReasoned speculation from facts
- best guessLikeliest prediction attempted
- theoryExplanatory set of principles
tentative · experiment · work in progress · rough sketch · starting point · jumping off point · proof of concept · trial and error · concept · falsifiability · idea · proposition · conjecture · assumption · research · feasibility · prediction · empirical study
- hypothesesconjecture, supposition, postulate, assumption, premise
- thoughtsthought, idea, thoughts, ideas, thinking
working hypothesiscertainty
Total absence of doubt
incontrovertible evidence · accepted truth · axiom · dogma · self-evident truth
works, worked, worker, workers, working, workable, unworkable, workings, rework