alternative hypothesis

noun

1. (in the statistical testing of a hypothesis) the hypothesis to be accepted if the null hypothesis is rejected.

alternative hypothesis

noun

1. statistics the hypothesis that given data do not conform with a given null hypothesis: the null hypothesis is accepted only if its probability exceeds a predetermined significance level Compare hypothesis testing null hypothesis

Example Sentences

The alternative hypothesis, for which absolutely not a speck of evidence has ever been presented, is that the virus emerged from a laboratory—specifically the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, whether deliberately or through sloppy lab practices.

From Los Angeles Times

"We had to come up with an alternative hypothesis for the formation. This allowed us to predict where potential porpoise feeding sites are, and that is exactly where we found the pits -- always close to sandeel habitats. Our extensive and multidisciplinary data analysis now provides a conclusive explanation for our harbor porpoise pits hypothesis."

From Science Daily

Here’s an alternative hypothesis: Maybe Joe Biden is just Joe Biden, and maybe it’s neither the 1930s nor the 1990s anymore.

From Washington Post

Some virologists say that the new evidence pointing to the Huanan market doesn’t rule out an alternative hypothesis.

From Scientific American

One alternative hypothesis for the rise may be that young children are particularly vulnerable to infections in the upper airway — exactly where Omicron is thought to be more concentrated in comparison with other variants.

From New York Times