Hypernym

explanation 2

noun

thought that makes something comprehensible

Part_meronym

law 4

noun

a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature

hypothesis 2

noun

a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena

theory 1

noundomain: thinking

Princeton WordNet [ver.3.1]

English

Definition

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

Examples

1.theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses
2.true in fact and theory

Derivationally related form

theoretic 1

adjective

concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations

theorist 1

noun

someone who theorizes (especially in science or art)

theoretician 1

noun

someone who theorizes (especially in science or art)

Hyponym

reductionism 1

noun

a theory that all complex systems can be completely understood in terms of their components

blastogenesis 2

noun

theory that inherited characteristics are transmitted by germ plasm

preformation 1

noun

a theory (popular in the 18th century and now discredited) that an individual develops by simple enlargement of a tiny fully formed organism (a homunculus) that exists in the germ cell

scientific theory 1

noun

a theory that explains scientific observations

field theory 1

noun

(physics) a theory that explains a physical phenomenon in terms of a field and the manner in which it interacts with matter or with other fields

Part_holonym

law 4

noun

a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature

hypothesis 2

noun

a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena