Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
A description of an event or system that is considered to be accurate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The underlying principles or methods of a given technical skill, art etc., as opposed to its practice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: praxis
noun
A field of study attempting to exhaustively describe a particular class of constructs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: mathematics, sciences
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
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).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The standardization and study of fixed sequences of moves, especially in the opening phase of a game.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: chess and similar games
Synonyms: joseki
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Mental conception; reflection, consideration.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A hypothesis or conjecture.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: hypothesis, possibility
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: concept, conception, construct
Narrower terms: hypothetical, gemmule, model, theoretical account, framework, speculation, conjecture, assumption, supposition, supposal, historicism
noun
a belief that can guide behavior
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: belief
Narrower terms: egoism, patchwork, hodgepodge, jumble
noun
a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: explanation
Narrower terms: reductionism, blastogenesis, preformation, theory of preformation, scientific theory, field theory, economic theory, atomism, atomic theory, atomist theory, atomistic theory, holism, holistic theory, structuralism, structural sociology, structural anthropology
History
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).
Across languages
211 source translations are retained for this English entry.
