to give a possible but not yet proved explanation for something
We hypothesized that children of alcoholic fathers will demonstrate more behavioural problems.
There's no point hypothesizing about how the accident happened, since we'll never really know.
Researchers hypothesize about the potential outcomes of their study.
Before conducting the experiment, they hypothesize the expected results.
Scientists hypothesize based on existing knowledge and observations.
The ability to hypothesize is a key skill in scientific inquiry.
