theory

Noun

• a belief that can guide behavior
  • the architect has a theory that more is less
    
  • they killed him on the theory that dead men tell no tales
    

• a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena
  • a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory
    
  • he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices
    

• 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
  • theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses
    
  • true in fact and theory
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  hypothesis , possibility