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theory - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | theory |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | hypothesis, belief |
| Synonyms: | approach, argument, assumption, base, basis, code, concept, conditions, conjecture, doctrine, dogma, feeling, foundation, grounds, guess, hunch, idea, ideology, impression, method, outlook, philosophy, plan, position, postulate, premise, presentiment, presumption, proposal, provision, rationale, scheme, shot*, speculation, stab*, suppose, supposition, surmise, suspicion, system, theorem, thesis, understanding, codification, formularization, guesswork, supposal, systemization |
| Antonyms: | certainty, fact, proof, reality |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | concept |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | idea |
| Synonyms: | abstraction, apprehension, approach, conceit, conception, consideration, hypothesis, image, impression, notion, perception, slant, supposition, theory, thought, twist, view, wrinkle, big idea, brain wave, brainchild, conceptualization, fool notion, intellection |
| Notes: | a concept is a more definite, more unitary, more complete type of notion than is a conception, which is more of an ideational structure with a potential for realization (rather like a schema) |
| Antonyms: | being, concrete |
| Main Entry: | conjecture |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | speculation, assumption |
| Synonyms: | conclusion, fancy, guess, hunch, hypothesis, inference, notion, opinion, perhaps, presumption, shot in the dark*, supposition, surmise, theory, guesstimate, guesswork, sneaking suspicion, stab in the dark, theorizing |
| Antonyms: | fact, proof, reality, truth |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | guess |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | belief, speculation |
| Synonyms: | assumption, ballpark figure*, conclusion, conjecture, deduction, divination, estimate, fancy, feeling, hunch*, hypothesis, induction, inference, judgment, notion, opinion, postulate, prediction, presumption, reckoning, shot*, shot in the dark*, stab*, supposition, surmise, suspicion, theory, thesis, view, guesstimate, guesswork, postulation, presupposition, sneaking suspicion, supposal, surmisal |
| Antonyms: | calculation, measurement |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | idea |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | something understood, planned, or |
| Synonyms: | aim, approximation, belief, brainstorm*, clue, concept, conception, conclusion, conviction, design, doctrine, end, essence, estimate, fancy, feeling, flash*, form, guess, hint, hypothesis, import, impression, inkling, intention, interpretation, intimation, judgment, meaning, notion, object, objective, opinion, pattern, perception, plan, purpose, reason, scheme, sense, significance, solution, suggestion, suspicion, teaching, theory, thought, understanding, view, viewpoint, believed abstraction |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | ideology |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | beliefs |
| Synonyms: | articles of faith, credo, creed, culture, dogma, outlook, philosophy, system, theory, view, Weltanschauung, ideas, principles, tenets |
| Main Entry: | knowledge |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | person's understanding; information |
| Synonyms: | ability, acquaintance, apprehension, awareness, cognition, comprehension, consciousness, dirt*, discernment, doctrine, dogma, dope*, education, enlightenment, erudition, expertise, facts, familiarity, goods*, grasp, insight, instruction, intelligence, judgment, know-how*, learning, light*, lore, observation, philosophy, picture, power*, proficiency, recognition, scholarship, science, scoop*, substance, theory, tuition, wisdom, accomplishments, attainments, inside story, principles, schooling |
| Antonyms: | ignorance |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | opinion |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | belief |
| Synonyms: | assessment, assumption, attitude, conception, conclusion, conjecture, estimate, estimation, eye*, fancy, feeling, guess, hypothesis, idea, impression, inclination, inference, judgment, mind, notion, persuasion, point of view, postulate, presumption, reaction, sentiment, slant, speculation, supposition, surmise, suspicion, take*, theorem, theory, thesis, think*, thought, view, viewpoint, imagining, presupposition, say-so |
| Antonyms: | reality, truth |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | philosophy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | principles, knowledge |
| Synonyms: | aesthetics, attitude, axiom, conception, doctrine, idea, ideology, logic, outlook, reason, reasoning, system, tenet, theory, thinking, thought, truth, values, view, viewpoint, wisdom, beliefs, convictions, metaphysics, ontology, rationalism |
| Main Entry: | policy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | procedure, tactics |
| Synonyms: | action, administration, approach, arrangement, behavior, code, course, custom, design, guideline, line, management, method, order, organization, plan, practice, program, protocol, red tape*, rule, scheme, stratagem, strategy, tenet, theory, channels, polity, the book, the numbers |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | rationale |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | logic for belief, action |
| Synonyms: | account, excuse, explanation, exposition, grounds, hypothesis, justification, motivation, motive, philosophy, principle, raison d'être, rationalization, reason, reasons, song and dance*, sour grapes, story*, the big idea, the whole idea, theory, whatfor, why and wherefore, whyfor |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | supposition |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | guess, belief |
| Synonyms: | assumption, condition, conjecture, doubt, guessing, hunch, hypothesis, idea, likelihood, notion, opinion, postulate, premise, presumption, shot in the dark*, speculation, suppose, surmise, suspicion, theory, thesis, view, apriorism, guesstimate, guesswork, posit, postulation, presupposition, rough guess, sneaking suspicion, stab in the dark |
| Antonyms: | fact, knowledge, proof, reality |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | surmise |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | guess, conclusion |
| Synonyms: | assumption, attempt, conjecture, deduction, hunch, hypothesis, idea, inference, notion, opinion, possibility, presumption, speculation, supposition, suspicion, theory, thought, guesstimate, guesswork, sneaking suspicion |
| Antonyms: | calculation, knowledge, measurement |
| Main Entry: | theorem |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | explanation based on hypothesis and experiments |
| Synonyms: | assumption, axiom, belief, deduction, dictum, doctrine, formula, fundamental, law, postulate, principle, proposition, rule, statement, theory, thesis, principium |
| Antonyms: | fact, proof |
| Main Entry: | assumption |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | taking something for granted; something expected |
| Synonyms: | acceptance, assuming, belief, conjecture, expectation, fancy, guess, hunch, hypothesis, inference, postulate, premise, presumption, shot*, shot in the dark*, stab, supposition, surmise, suspicion, theory, accepting, posit, postulation, presupposition, sneaking suspicion, supposal, theorization |
| Antonyms: | doubt, unexpected |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | belief |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | putting regard in as true |
| Synonyms: | acceptance, admission, assent, assumption, assurance, avowal, axiom, certainty, conclusion, confidence, conjecture, conviction, credence, credit, deduction, divination, expectation, faith, fancy, feeling, guess, hope, hypothesis, idea, impression, intuition, judgment, knowledge, mind, notion, opinion, persuasion, position, presumption, profession, reliance, supposition, surmise, suspicion, theorem, theory, thesis, thinking, trust, understanding, view, mindset, postulation, presupposition |
| Antonyms: | disbelief |
| Main Entry: | scheme |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | course of action |
| Synonyms: | arrangement, blueprint, chart, contrivance, design, device, diagram, disposition, draft, expedient, game plan, layout, order, outline, pattern, plan, presentation, program, project, proposal, proposition, purpose, schedule, strategy, suggestion, system, tactics, theory, codification, ordering, schema |
| Main Entry: | system |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | order, whole |
| Synonyms: | arrangement, classification, combination, complex, conformity, entity, frame of reference, ideology, integral, integrate, organization, philosophy, red tape*, regularity, rule, scheme, setup, structure, sum, theory, totality, coordination, fixed order, logical order, orderliness |
| Antonyms: | cog, part |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | thesis |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | belief, assumption to be tested |
| Synonyms: | contention, hypothesis, idea, line, opinion, point, position, postulate, premise, presumption, principle, proposal, proposition, sentiment, statement, supposition, surmise, theory, view, apriorism, contestation, posit, postulation, presupposition |
| Antonyms: | certainty, fact, proof, reality |
| Main Entry: | basis |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | foundation for belief, action |
| Synonyms: | antecedent, assumption, authority, axiom, backbone, background, backing, base, bedrock, cause, center, core, crux, data, dictum, essence, essential, evidence, explanation, footing, fundamental, heart, infrastructure, justification, keynote, keystone, law, nexus, nucleus, postulate, premise, presumption, principle, proof, reason, root, sanction, security, source, support, theorem, theory, underpinning, warrant, chief ingredient, hard fact, presupposition, principal element, rudiment, substratum |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.

