la théorie
theory
Ensemble d’idées organisées qui servent à expliquer un fait ou un phénomène.
Definition & meaning
Théorie is a feminine French noun meaning theory.
It has several related meanings:
-
A coherent system of ideas or principles used to explain a subject or phenomenon.
- La théorie de la relativité — the theory of relativity
- Une théorie scientifique — a scientific theory
-
An explanation or hypothesis that has not yet been fully proven, especially in everyday language.
- J’ai une théorie sur ce qui s’est passé. — I have a theory about what happened.
-
Abstract or conceptual knowledge, as opposed to practical application.
- La théorie est différente de la pratique. — Theory is different from practice.
-
In a more literary or historical sense, a procession or line of people, although this meaning is uncommon in modern French.
Grammar & Word origin
- Gender: feminine
- Plural: théories
- Pronunciation: approximately “tay-oh-ree”
- Related adjective: théorique , meaning “theoretical”
The word comes from Greek theōria, meaning “contemplation,” “observation,” or “consideration,” through Latin theoria. In modern French, it is not normally analyzed into separate meaningful parts.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- hypothèse — hypothesis; usually a proposed explanation that still needs to be tested, so it is less established than a théorie.
- explication — explanation; a broader term that does not necessarily refer to a formal system of ideas.
- doctrine — doctrine; a structured set of principles, often associated with religion, politics, or philosophy.
- conception — conception or view; generally refers to someone’s way of understanding a subject rather than a complete explanatory system.
Antonyms
There is no exact antonym for théorie. Depending on the context, possible contrasts include:
- pratique — practice, especially when contrasting abstract knowledge with its application.
- fait — fact, when contrasting an explanatory model with an observed reality.
- réalité — reality, when contrasting ideas or speculation with what actually exists.
Common phrases & collocations
- une théorie scientifique — a scientific theory
- une théorie de l’évolution — a theory of evolution
- élaborer une théorie — to develop a theory
- formuler une théorie — to formulate a theory
- confirmer une théorie — to confirm a theory
- réfuter une théorie [?](vocabuo://word réfuter%20une%20théorie) — to refute a theory
- en théorie — in theory
- passer de la théorie à la pratique — to move from theory to practice
- une théorie du complot — a conspiracy theory
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Examples
Ma théorie explique ce phénomène.noun
My theory explains this phenomenon.
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