theory

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. noun a belief that can guide behavior

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French théorie, a learned borrowing from Late Latin theōria, borrowed from Ancient Greek θεωρία (theōría), from θεωρός (theōrós) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā).

In classic literature

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading