Question

In everyday conversation, a mere hunch may be called a __________, but science has a more precise and detailed definition of the word.

Answer 1

The answer to this question is theory.
In the scientific field, the theory is indeed come from the result of the analytical process. But the result still hasn't been supported by extensive researches so it still can't be considered as 'facts'.
One example of a popular theory is the big bang theory. This theory is a hunch to explain the origin of universe, but it still can't be proven yet.