n.
Pronunciation: ' th ē - ə -r ē , ' thir- ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ries
Etymology: Late Latin theoria, from Greek the ō ria, from the ō rein
Date: 1592
1 : the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another
2 : abstract thought : SPECULATION
3 : the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art <music theory >
4 a : a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action <her method is based on the theory that all children want to learn> b : an ideal or hypothetical set of facts, principles, or circumstances ― often used in the phrase in theory <in theory , we have always advocated freedom for all>
5 : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena <the wave theory of light>
6 a : a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an unproved assumption : CONJECTURE c : a body of theorems presenting a concise systematic view of a subject < theory of equations>
synonyms see HYPOTHESIS