hypothesis

hypothèse

Idée expliquant comment ou pourquoi quelque chose se produit, que l’on peut vérifier par des recherches ou des expériences.

En anglais simple : An idea about how or why something happens that you can check through research or experiments.

• The experiment supports our hypothesis.
• Scientists tested several hypotheses about the disease.
• Does the new evidence fit your original hypothesis?

Comment l'utiliser : hypothesis that… (We tested the hypothesis that plants grow faster in warm rooms.); hypothesis about something (They proposed a hypothesis about the cause of the disease.)

Synonymes : theory, proposed explanation

Expressions courantes : test a hypothesis, working hypothesis, support a hypothesis, scientific hypothesis

supposition, hypothèse

Idée admise comme point de départ d’une discussion ou d’une recherche, sans avoir été prouvée.

En anglais simple : An idea accepted for discussion or investigation even though it has not been proved.

• That is only a hypothesis.
• Her claim remains a hypothesis without proof.
• We began our discussion with the hypothesis that everyone would agree.

Comment l'utiliser : on the hypothesis that… (Let us reason on the hypothesis that the story is true.)

Synonymes : assumption, supposition, conjecture

Expressions courantes : mere hypothesis, pure hypothesis, on the hypothesis