noun · academic
theory
UK/ˈθɪəri/US/ˈθiəri/THE·o·ry
an idea or set of ideas intended to explain something, based on evidence and reasoning
Examples
“Einstein's theory of relativity changed physics.”
“The theory predicts that temperature will affect the reaction speed.”
“In science, a theory is supported by many experiments and observations.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although widely accepted, the theory still requires further empirical testing to confirm its predictions.”
Collocations
- scientific theory
- support a theory
- develop a theory
Word family
Common mistakes
I have a theory about why he left.→I have an idea about why he left.
In theoryly, this should work.→Theoretically, this should work.
Say it for a higher band
5idea→6explanation→7+theory
Synonyms
idea
model
Easily confused
idea
“His theory about language learning is supported by many studies.”
Related words
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In Science & Research
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