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15 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  Theory \The"o*ry\, n.; pl. Theories. [F. th['e]orie, L.
     theoria, Gr. ? a beholding, spectacle, contemplation,
     speculation, fr. ? a spectator, ? to see, view. See
     Theater.]
     1. A doctrine, or scheme of things, which terminates in
        speculation or contemplation, without a view to practice;
        hypothesis; speculation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: ``This word is employed by English writers in a very
           loose and improper sense. It is with them usually
           convertible into hypothesis, and hypothesis is commonly
           used as another term for conjecture. The terms theory
           and theoretical are properly used in opposition to the
           terms practice and practical. In this sense, they were
           exclusively employed by the ancients; and in this
           sense, they are almost exclusively employed by the
           Continental philosophers.'' --Sir W. Hamilton.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. An exposition of the general or abstract principles of any
        science; as, the theory of music.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. The science, as distinguished from the art; as, the theory
        and practice of medicine.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. The philosophical explanation of phenomena, either
        physical or moral; as, Lavoisier's theory of combustion;
        Adam Smith's theory of moral sentiments.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Atomic theory, Binary theory, etc. See under Atomic,
        Binary, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: Hypothesis, speculation.
  
     Usage: Theory, Hypothesis. A theory is a scheme of the
            relations subsisting between the parts of a systematic
            whole; an hypothesis is a tentative conjecture
            respecting a cause of phenomena.
            [1913 Webster]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  Theory \The"o*ry\, n.; pl. Theories. [F. th['e]orie, L.
     theoria, Gr. ? a beholding, spectacle, contemplation,
     speculation, fr. ? a spectator, ? to see, view. See
     Theater.]
     1. A doctrine, or scheme of things, which terminates in
        speculation or contemplation, without a view to practice;
        hypothesis; speculation.
  
     Note: ``This word is employed by English writers in a very
           loose and improper sense. It is with them usually
           convertible into hypothesis, and hypothesis is commonly
           used as another term for conjecture. The terms theory
           and theoretical are properly used in opposition to the
           terms practice and practical. In this sense, they were
           exclusively employed by the ancients; and in this
           sense, they are almost exclusively employed by the
           Continental philosophers.'' --Sir W. Hamilton.
  
     2. An exposition of the general or abstract principles of any
        science; as, the theory of music.
  
     3. The science, as distinguished from the art; as, the theory
        and practice of medicine.
  
     4. The philosophical explanation of phenomena, either
        physical or moral; as, Lavoisier's theory of combustion;
        Adam Smith's theory of moral sentiments.
  
     Atomic theory, Binary theory, etc. See under Atomic,
        Binary, etc.
  
     Syn: Hypothesis, speculation.
  
     Usage: Theory, Hypothesis. A theory is a scheme of the
            relations subsisting between the parts of a systematic
            whole; an hypothesis is a tentative conjecture
            respecting a cause of phenomena.

From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]

  theories
     n.
     (plural of en theory)

From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]

  theories
     n.
     (plural of en theory)

From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]

  theories
     n.
     (plural of en theory)

From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]

  theories
     n.
     (plural of en theory)

From Finnish Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-fi-ALL-2023-07-27 ]

  theories
     Englanti n.
     (en-monikko t heor ies)

From Swedish Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-sv-ALL-2023-07-27 ]

  theories
     Engelska n.
     (böjning en subst theory)

From Swedish Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-sv-ALL-2023-07-27 ]

  theories'
     Engelska n.
     (böjning en subst theory)

From English-Arabic FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.6.3 :   [ freedict:eng-ara ]

  Theories /θˈiəɹiz/
  النظريات

From English-Czech dicts.info/FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 :   [ freedict:eng-ces ]

  theories /θˈiəɹiz/ 
  teorie

From Eurfa Saesneg, English-Welsh Eurfa/Freedict dictionary ver. 0.2.3 :   [ freedict:eng-cym ]

  theories /θˈiəɹiz/ 
  theorïau 

From English - German Ding/FreeDict dictionary ver. 1.9-fd1 :   [ freedict:eng-deu ]

  theories /θˈiəɹiz/
  Theorien 
   see: theory, abstract theory
  

From IPA:en_US :   [ IPA:en_US ]

  

/ˈθiɝiz/, /ˈθɪɹiz/

From XDICT the English-Chinese dictionary :   [ xdict ]

     n. 理论

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