theory

== English == === Etymology === From Middle French théorie, from Late Latin theōria, from Ancient Greek θεωρία (theōría, “contemplation, divine perspective, speculation, a looking at, a seeking”), from θεωρέω (theōréō, “I look at, view, see, consider, examine”), from θεωρός (theōrós, “spectator”), from θέα (théa, “view, perspective, sight”) + ὁράω (horáō, “I see, look”) [i. e. θέαν ὁράω (théan horáō, “see, look at a view; survey + genitive”)]. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈθɪə.ɹi/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈθɪ.ɹi/, /ˈθi.ə.ɹi/ (US, without the mirror–nearer merger) IPA(key): /ˈθɪɚ.i/, /ˈθi.ɹi/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈθi.ɹɪ/, /ˈθi.ɹe/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈθiə.ɹi/ (East Anglia, cheer–chair merger) IPA(key): /ˈθɛː.ɹi/ (Indic) IPA(key): /ˈt̪ʰɪjɵri/ Rhymes: -ɪəɹi, -iːəɹi === Noun === theory (countable and uncountable, plural theories) A description of an event or system that is considered to be accurate. (sciences) 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. [from 17th c.] 1843, John Stuart Mill, ""A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive, ..., Bk V, Ch 7: In its most proper acceptation, theory means the completed result of philosophical induction from experience. (uncountable) The underlying principles or methods of a given technical skill, art etc., as opposed to its practice. [from 17th c.] Antonym: praxis (mathematics) A field of study attempting to exhaustively describe a particular class of constructs. [from 18th c.] (countable, logic) 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). (chess and similar games) The standardization and study of fixed sequences of moves, especially in the opening phase of a game. Near-synonym: joseki (obsolete) Mental conception; reflection, consideration. [16th–18th c.] (informal) A hypothesis or conjecture. [from 18th c.] ==== Usage notes ==== In scientific discourse, the informal sense of “unsubstantiated statement or idea” is discouraged (with hypothesis or conjecture preferred), due to unintentional ambiguity and intentional equivocation with the sense “well-developed statement or structure”. ==== Synonyms ==== See also Thesaurus:supposition ==== Hyponyms ==== ==== Meronyms ==== (in logic): axioms ==== Holonyms ==== (in logic): formal system ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === axiom postulate proposition === References === “theory”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. theory in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018. Raymond Williams (1983), “Theory”, in Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society, revised American edition, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, published 1985, →ISBN, page 316 William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “theory”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === Yother, thyreo-