theory
Part of speech: noun
Morphological type: simple
Topics: human-sciences
logic
mathematics
philosophy
sciences
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Hellenic *tʰáwā
Ancient Greek θέᾱ (théā)
Proto-Indo-European *wer-der.
Proto-Indo-European *h₃ekʷ-der.
Proto-Indo-European *weyd-der.
Ancient Greek ὁράω (horáō)
Ancient Greek *θεᾱ-(ϝ)ορός, *θεη-(ϝ)ορός (*theā-(w)orós, *theē-(w)orós)
Ancient Greek θεωρός (theōrós)
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂
Proto-Hellenic *-íā
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā)
Ancient Greek θεωρία (theōría)bor.
Late Latin theōrialbor.
Middle French théoriebor.
English theory
Borrowed from Middle French théorie, a learned borrowing from Late Latin theōria, borrowed from Ancient Greek θεωρία (theōría), from θεωρός (theōrós, “spectator”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā).
Inflected forms:
form: theories
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: A description of an event or system that is considered to be accurate.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: As they encrease the hatred of vice in some, so doe they enlarge the theory of wickednesse in all.
gloss: A coherent statement or set of ideas that explains observed facts or phenomena and correctly predicts new facts or phenomena not previously observed, or which sets out the laws and principles of something known or observed; a hypothesis confirmed by observation, experiment etc.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: In its most proper acceptation, theory means the completed result of philosophical induction from experience.
Does this mean, then, that there can be no such thing as a theory of literature?
It was only when Einstein's theory of relativity was published in 1915 that physicists could show that Mercury's "anomaly" was actually because Newton's gravitational theory was incomplete.
The world would need additional decades [...] before the Big Bang would begin to move from interesting idea to established theory.
Scientists and creationists are understanding the word "theory" in two very different senses. Evolution is a theory in the same sense as the heliocentric theory. In neither case should the word "only" be used, as in "only a theory".
Some of the most beautiful and thus appealing physical theories, including quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, have been dogged for decades by infinities that erupt when theorists try to prod their calculations into new domains. Getting rid of these nagging infinities has probably occupied far more effort than was spent in originating the theories.
gloss: The underlying principles or methods of a given technical skill, art etc., as opposed to its practice.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: Lopukhov wrote a number of books and articles on ballet theory, as well as his memoirs.
gloss: A field of study attempting to exhaustively describe a particular class of constructs.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Knot theory classifies the mappings of a circle into 3-space.
It's just a theory I have, and I wonder if women would agree. But don't men say a lot about themselves when a short-skirted woman slides out of a car or chair?
The theory is that by stripping costs to the bone, they are able to offer ludicrously low fares.
gloss: A set of axioms together with all statements derivable from them; or, a set of statements which are deductively closed. Equivalently, a formal language plus a set of axioms (from which can then be derived theorems). The statements may be required to all be bound (i.e., to have no free variables).
pos: noun
tags: countable
examples: A theory is consistent if it has a model.
gloss: The standardization and study of fixed sequences of moves, especially in the opening phase of a game.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Near-synonym: joseki
gloss: Mental conception; reflection, consideration.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
gloss: A hypothesis or conjecture.
pos: noun
tags: countable
informal
uncountable
Related words: theorem
theoretical
theorise
theorize
axiom
postulate
proposition
Derived words: intertheory
in theory
intratheory
teletheory
theoretic
theorist
theorycel
theorycraft
theoryhead
theoryism
theory-laden
theoryless
time-preference theory of interest
Translations: