what does the word theory mean to scientists

What Is a Theory? Part of the Darwin exhibition. In everyday use, the word "theory" often means an untested hunch, or a guess without supporting evidence. But for scientists, a theory has nearly the opposite meaning. A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts.

A theory is a carefully thought-out explanation for observations of the natural world that has been constructed using the scientific method, and which brings together many facts and hypotheses. In a previous blog post, I talked about the definition of "fact" in a scientific context, and discussed how facts differ from hypotheses and ...

A theory explains existing experimental results and predicts outcomes of new experiments at least as well as other theories. Difference Between a Scientific Theory and Theory. Usually, a scientific theory is just called a theory. However, a theory in science means something different from the way most people use the word.

A scientific theory is based on careful examination of facts. A scientific theory is a structured explanation to explain a group of facts or phenomena in the natural world that often incorporates ...

A scientific theory is an explanation of an aspect of the natural world and universe that can be (or a fortiori, that has been) repeatedly tested and corroborated in accordance with the scientific method, using accepted protocols of observation, measurement, and evaluation of results. Where possible, some theories are tested under controlled ...

A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking.The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be scientific, belong to a non-scientific discipline, or no discipline at all.Depending on the context, a theory's assertions might, for example, include ...

scientific theory, systematic ideational structure of broad scope, conceived by the human imagination, that encompasses a family of empirical (experiential) laws regarding regularities existing in objects and events, both observed and posited. A scientific theory is a structure suggested by these laws and is devised to explain them in a scientifically rational manner.

Theory (noun, "THEER-ee") This is an explanation about the way the natural world works. A theory explains not just what happens, but also how it happens. Theories are based on experiments, observations and facts that many scientists have confirmed, over and over. Theories also help scientists make predictions and form new questions.

Learn the scientific meaning of theory, a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena, and how it differs from hypothesis, an unproved assumption or conjecture. See synonyms, examples, and related meanings of theory in different contexts.

Although theory testing dominates much of the standard philosophical literature on observation, much of what this entry says about the role of observation in theory testing applies also to its role in inventing, and modifying theories, and applying them to tasks in engineering, medicine, and other practical enterprises. 2.

The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth's surface is broken up into various pieces (plates) and describes how and why they are constantly in motion and how that motion is linked to ...

Words have precise meanings in science. For example, "theory," "law," and "hypothesis" don't all mean the same thing. Outside of science, you might say something is "just a theory," meaning it's a supposition that may or may not be true. In science, however, a theory is an explanation that generally is accepted to be true.

Scientific theory definition: a coherent group of propositions formulated to explain a group of facts or phenomena in the natural world and repeatedly confirmed through experiment or observation. See examples of SCIENTIFIC THEORY used in a sentence.

"In science, the word theory isn't applied lightly," Kenneth R. Miller, a cell biologist at Brown University, said. "It doesn't mean a hunch or a guess. "It doesn't mean a hunch or a ...

The definition of a theory in science is very different from the everyday usage of the word. In fact, it's usually called a "scientific theory" to clarify the distinction. In the context of science, a theory is a well-established explanation for scientific data.Theories typically cannot be proven, but they can become established if they are tested by several different scientific investigators.

Part of the problem is that the word "theory" means something very different in lay language than it does in science: A scientific theory is an explanation of some aspect of the natural world that ...

So, if a scientist is using the word theory, as in "theory of relativity," "theory of evolution," or "Big Bang theory," it should be understood as a statement within a scientific context.

Theory definition: a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena. See examples of THEORY used in a sentence.

This does not mean theories are not meaningful. For a hypothesis to become a theory, scientists must conduct rigorous testing, typically across multiple disciplines by separate groups of scientists.

THEORY definition: 1. a formal statement of the rules on which a subject of study is based or of ideas that are…. Learn more.

The first kind, which we can label a semantic theory of word meaning, is a theory interested in clarifying what meaning-determining information is encoded by the words of a natural language. A framework establishing that the word 'bachelor' encodes the lexical concept adult unmarried male would be an example of a semantic theory of word ...

A) Scientists use the word theory in the same way that they use the word hypothesis; both mean a general idea that remains to be well tested. B) Scientists use the word theory to mean a hypothesis that has been supported by many experiments; this is the same way non-scientists use the word theory.

The meaning of nature has changed since the word was first used back as early as the 15th century. Now a new campaign, We Are Nature , aims to persuade dictionaries to include humans in their ...