THEORY

Theory

Theory is a contemplative and rational type of abstract or generalizing thinking, or the results of such thinking. Depending on the context, the results might for example include generalized explanations of how nature works. The word has its roots in ancient Greek, but in modern use it has taken on several different related meanings. A theory is not the same as a hypothesis. A theory provides an explanatory framework for some observation, and from the assumptions of the explanation follows a number of possible hypotheses that can be tested in order to provide support for, or challenge, the theory.

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theory

Noun

  1. Mental conception; reflection, consideration.
  2. A coherent statement or set of ideas that explains observed facts or phenomena, or which sets out the laws and principles of something known or observed; a hypothesis confirmed by observation, experiment etc.
  3. The underlying principles or methods of a given technical skill, art etc., as opposed to its practice.
  4. A field of study attempting to exhaustively describe a particular class of constructs.
    Knot theory classifies the mappings of a circle into 3-space.
  5. A hypothesis or conjecture.
  6. A set of axioms together with all statements derivable from them. Equivalently, a formal language plus a set of axioms (from which can then be derived theorems).
    A theory is consistent if it has a model.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: theory
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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