theory
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++theo·ry /ˈθɪəri $ ˈθiːəri/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL noun (plural theories) 1 [countable]HPIDEA an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain something about life or the world, especially an idea that has not yet been proved to be true 〔尤指尚未得到证实的〕学说，理论 → theoreticaltheory about/on different theories about how the brain works 关于大脑如何运作的各种学说theory of Darwin’s theory of evolution 达尔文的进化论theory that the theory that light is made up of waves 光是由波组成的理论2 [uncountable]HIDEA general principles and ideas about a subject 〔某一学科的〕理论 Freudian theory has had a great influence on psychology. 弗洛伊德理论对心理学产生过巨大影响。political/economic/literary etc theory I’m taking a course on political theory. 我正在修习政治理论课程。3 in theory UNTRUEsomething that is true in theory is supposed to be true, but might not really be true or might not be what will really happen 理论上，从理论上来说 OPP in practice In theory, everyone will have to pay the new tax. 从理论上讲，每个人都得缴纳这项新税。4 [countable]IDEA an idea or opinion that someone thinks is true but for which they have no proof 猜想；假设theory that Detectives are working on a theory that he knew his murderer. 侦探们的调查基于一个猜想，即死者认识凶手。 COLLOCATIONSverbscome up with/develop a theory 提出理论These birds helped Darwin develop his theory of natural selection. 这些鸟雀帮助达尔文提出了物竞天择的理论。test a theory 测试理论Researchers gave workers a questionnaire to test that theory. 研究人员向工人分发问卷测试那个理论。prove a theory 证明理论No evidence emerged to prove either theory. 尚未有证据出现能证明这两种理论。support a theory 支持理论Modern research strongly supports this theory. 当代研究强有力地支持了这个理论。disprove a theory (also refute a theory formal) (=show that it is wrong) 反驳理论nLater experiments seemed to disprove the theory.discredit a theory (=make people stop believing in it) 质疑理论nThese latest findings discredit his entire theory.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + theorya scientific theory 科学理论Scientific theories can be tested experimentally. 科学理论可经实验验证。an economic theory 经济理论His economic theory assumes that both labour and capital are perfectly mobile. 他的经济理论假设劳动力和资金都是完全流动的。a conspiracy theory (=a theory that an event was the result of secret plan made by two or more people) 阴谋论n A variety of conspiracy theories question the official account of President Kennedy’s assassination.a pet theory (=a personal theory that you strongly believe) 〔某人〕最认同的理论nEach of them had his pet theory on what had caused the uprising.phrasesthe theory of evolution/relativity etc 进化论/相对论等According to the theory of relativity, nothing can travel faster than light. 根据相对论，没有哪种物体运动速度可以超过光速。Examples from the Corpus
theory• There's a theory that Kennedy was killed by the CIA.• music theory• It's my theory that the murderer knew his victim quite well.• A hypothesis should be related to a body of theory.• There have been a lot of theories about the meaning of dreams.• This is so: but the take-off theory over-simplifies the real process.• Atkin taught political theory at Hunter College.• Darwin's Theory of Evolution• Einstein's theory of relativity• Several theories of planetary formation include the possibility of disturbance to axial spins during the late stages of formation of a planet.• For it is very difficult to specify just how falsifiable a single theory is.• That Leeds was working within the constraints of this theory as early as 1912 is often overlooked.• This theory helps to explain how animals communicate with each other.theory that• Whether they all cancel out to give a theory that is finite without any infinite subtractions is not yet known.• I have a theory that it only rains when I wash my car.• Only a theory that is completely certain should be allowed to undermine this moral sense.• It takes a special strength of character to spend decades doggedly pursuing a theory that attracts harsh opposition.• The high core temperatures could also be used to support a theory that became fashionable among geophysicists during the l980s.• We don't yet have a complete and consistent theory that combines quantum mechanics and gravity.• New evidence supports the theory that the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid.• We go along with the theory that younger listeners will identify themselves with the group Cancer.• The theory that had wrongly been supposed is that boiling water is hot enough to make tea.• Nevertheless, there can be low-energy predictions of the grand unified theories that might be testable in the laboratory.political/economic/literary etc theory• At this point, economists and economic theory have entered the game.• The ultimate determinants of real investment, whether by foreign or domestic firms, remain a contentious issue in economic theory.• Our basic conceptions of political theory are against this approach.• This tension between economic arithmetic and the prescriptions of economic theory shows up in the discussion that follows.• Despite what standard economic theory tells us about the impact of this proposition, the temptation to support it is great.• Therefore, he devoted more of his time to philosophy and to educating Mexander the Great than he did to economic theory.• Everyone knows that, or at least everyone who has read his or her beginner's guide to literary theory.theory that• Whether they all cancel out to give a theory that is finite without any infinite subtractions is not yet known.• Only a theory that is completely certain should be allowed to undermine this moral sense.• It takes a special strength of character to spend decades doggedly pursuing a theory that attracts harsh opposition.• The high core temperatures could also be used to support a theory that became fashionable among geophysicists during the l980s.• We don't yet have a complete and consistent theory that combines quantum mechanics and gravity.• We go along with the theory that younger listeners will identify themselves with the group Cancer.• The theory that had wrongly been supposed is that boiling water is hot enough to make tea.• Nevertheless, there can be low-energy predictions of the grand unified theories that might be testable in the laboratory.From Longman Business Dictionarytheorytheo‧ry /ˈθɪəriˈθiːəri/ noun (plural theories)1[countable] an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain why something happens or how it workstheory ofThe book is called ‘An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change’.The theory is that a healthy employee is cheaper and more productive.2[uncountable] the general principles or ideas of a subjectThey found that theory and practice are two different things (=things do not always happen according to the theory). → content theory → economic theory → Elliott wave theory → employment theory → game theory → monetary theory → price theory → queuing theory → see also Cost of Production Theory of ValueOrigin theory (1500-1600) Late Latin theoria, from Greek, from theorein “to look at”theo·ry noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
or an Corpus of idea ideas Business set
theory
theo‧ry S2 W1 AC /ˈθɪəri $ ˈθiːəri/
noun (plural theories)
theory about/on
different theories about how the brain works
theory of
Darwin’s theory of evolution
theory that
the theory that light is made up of waves
2. [uncountable] general principles and ideas about a subject:
Freudian theory has had a great influence on psychology.
political/economic/literary etc theory
I’m taking a course on political theory.
3. in theory something that is true in theory is supposed to be true, but might not really be true or might not be what will really happen
OPP in practice:
In theory, everyone will have to pay the new tax.
4. [countable] an idea or opinion that someone thinks is true but for which they have no proof
theory that
Detectives are working on a theory that he knew his murderer.
■ verbs
▪come up with/develop a theory These birds helped Darwin develop his theory of natural selection.
▪test a theory Researchers gave workers a questionnaire to test that theory.
▪prove a theory No evidence emerged to prove either theory.
▪support a theory Modern research strongly supports this theory.
▪disprove a theory (also refute a theory formal) (=show that it is wrong) Later experiments seemed to disprove the theory.
▪discredit a theory (=make people stop believing in it) These latest findings discredit his entire theory.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + theory
▪a scientific theory Scientific theories can be tested experimentally.
▪an economic theory His economic theory assumes that both labour and capital are perfectly mobile.
▪a conspiracy theory (=a theory that an event was the result of secret plan made by two or more people) A variety of conspiracy theories question the official account of President Kennedy’s assassination.
▪a pet theory (=a personal theory that you strongly believe) Each of them had his pet theory on what had caused the uprising.
■ phrases
▪the theory of evolution/relativity etc According to the theory of relativity, nothing can travel faster than light.
theo‧ry S2 W1 AC /ˈθɪəri $ ˈθiːəri/
noun (plural theories) Word Family: noun: theorist, theory, theorem, theoretician; verb: theorize; adverb: theoretically; adjective: theoretical
Date: 1500-1600
Language: Late Latin
Origin: theoria, from Greek, from theorein 'to look at'
1. [countable] an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain something about life or the world, especially an idea that has not yet been proved to be true ⇨ theoreticalLanguage: Late Latin
Origin: theoria, from Greek, from theorein 'to look at'
theory about/on
theory of
theory that
2. [uncountable] general principles and ideas about a subject:
political/economic/literary etc theory
3. in theory something that is true in theory is supposed to be true, but might not really be true or might not be what will really happen
OPP in practice:
4. [countable] an idea or opinion that someone thinks is true but for which they have no proof
theory that
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■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + theory
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Theory 理论
formulate/advance a theory/hypothesis创立理论；提出假设 build/construct/create/develop a simple/theoretical/mathematical model创立一个简单／理论／数学模型 develop/establish/provide/use a theoretical/conceptual framework创立／建立／提供／使用理论／概念框架 advance/argue/develop the thesis that…提出／论证／详尽阐述…的论题 explore an idea/a concept/a hypothesis探讨一个想法／概念／假设 make a prediction/an inference预测；推断 base a prediction/your calculations on sth基于…做出预测／估算 investigate/evaluate/accept/challenge/reject a theory/hypothesis/model研究／评估／接受／质疑／拒绝接受一个理论／假设／模型
Experiment 实验
design an experiment/a questionnaire/a study/a test设计一项实验／问卷／研究／测试 do research/an experiment/an analysis做研究／实验／分析 make observations/measurements/calculations观察；测量；计算 carry out/conduct/perform an experiment/a test/a longitudinal study/observations/clinical trials进行实验／测试／纵向研究／观察／临床试验 run an experiment/a simulation/clinical trials进行实验／模拟／临床试验 repeat an experiment/a test/an analysis重做实验／测试／分析 replicate a study/the results/the findings做相同的研究；得出同样的结果／调查结果 observe/study/examine/investigate/assess a pattern/a process/a behaviour/( a behaviorespecially
观察／研究／审查／调查／评估一种模式／一个过程／一种行为 fund/support the research/project/study资助／支持研究／项目／专题研究 seek/provide/get/secure funding for research寻求／提供／得到／争取到研究资金
Results 结果
collect/gather/extract data/information收集／提取数据／信息 yield data/evidence/similar findings/the same results得到数据／证据／类似调查结果／相同结果 analyse/examine the data/soil samples/a specimen分析／考查数据／土壤样本／样本 consider/compare/interpret the results/findings思考／比较／解释结果／调查结果 fit the data/model与数据／模型相符合 confirm/support/verify a prediction/a hypothesis/the results/the findings证实／支持／核实预测／假设／结果／调查结果 prove a conjecture/hypothesis/theorem证明猜测／假设／定理 draw/make/reach the same conclusions得出同样的结论 read/review the records/literature阅读／评论记录／文献 describe/report an experiment/a study描述／报告一项实验／研究 present/publish/summarize the results/findings提交／公布／总结结果／调查结果 present/publish/read/review/cite a paper in a scientific journal向科学杂志提交一篇论文；在科学杂志发表一篇论文；阅读／评论／引用科学杂志上的一篇论文
