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theorise

verbC1Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,585 of 15,258Too rare in one of the two pools to compare — fewer than 20 uses in speech or in writing

Other forms: theorised, theorising, theorises

To theorise is to put forward an explanation to be tested. Theorise about the cause, widely theorised, theorise that it began earlier.

The testing is the point, since to theorise properly is to offer something that could be shown wrong rather than merely to guess. Americans spell it theorize.

Charles Darwin · Public domain

Definitions of theorise

  1. 1verbtheoriseTo put forward an explanation to be tested.C1

    “Scientists theorise that the dinosaurs died out after a huge asteroid hit the Earth.”

theorise is a explaining.

Also accepted in games: theorize

Where it comes from

  1. Latin

    theōria

  2. Middle French

    théorie

  3. English

    theory

  4. English, today

    theorise

From theory + -ise. theory Borrowed from Middle French théorie, from Latin theōria.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Thinking & Memory

Practise this word

theorise in the wild

  • Gordon in 1998, and used to describe and theorise about concurrent systems that include mobility.

    Ambient calculus

  • Art historians theorise that it was an ex voto for escaping a murder attempt planned for 29 September 1503.

    Madonna and Child with St Peter Martyr and a Donor

  • The attribution to Donatello is almost universally accepted today and many theorise that they may have been produced to top the cantoria di Donatello in the same location.

    Putti candle-holders

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the théorie family

theory

theorise — used about once every 54,060 pages · #14,585 · point at the bar for the others