51Թ

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scientific theory

[sahy-uhn-tif-ik theer-ee, thee-uh-ree]

noun

  1. 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.

    the scientific theory of evolution.



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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of scientific theory1

First recorded in 1755–65
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

What do you think of the various scientific theories about how we could deflect or otherwise protect ourselves from near-Earth objects?

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Current scientific theories of memory formation suggest that short-term memories are stored in what we can imagine as a temporary art exhibition in our brain before being cleared out for representations of new experiences.

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While teaching creationism as a scientific theory is banned in England, the promotion of creationism is not prohibited in schools in Wales.

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A new paper published in The Quarterly Review of Biology examines the question of what Darwinism is and how its nonscientific uses relate to the scientific theory of evolution.

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And so now we have theories for the first time in our history — scientific theories, not just metaphysical theories, where we can test things well, and can predict certain things.

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When To Use

What is a scientific theory?

A scientific theory is a well-tested, broad explanation of a natural phenomenon.In everyday life, we often use the word theory to mean a hypothesis or educated guess, but a theory in the context of science is not simply a guess—it is an explanation based on extensive and repeated experimentation. And it’s not the job of theories to become facts—they use available facts to make sense of a broad concept.Scientific theories explain some of the most familiar and complex phenomena. A few of the best-known scientific theories are the theory of gravity, the theory of evolution, and the theory of relativity.

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scientific socialismUnited Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization