Meaning & use
science
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Meanings
noununcountable
The organized study of how the natural world works, using observation, tests and evidence.
Grammar: No plural for the general idea: science is, not 'sciences'.
Patterns
- the study of science
- science and technology
Science has helped explain how diseases spread.
She loves science and plans to become a chemist.
The museum brings science to life for children.
nouncountable
A particular branch of this study, such as biology or physics.
Grammar: Countable for a field: the natural sciences, a social science.
Patterns
- a branch of science
- the social sciences
Geology is a science that studies the Earth.
He studied social sciences at university.
Chemistry and physics are both physical sciences.
nounsingularfigurative
A skill or subject that needs careful method and knowledge.
Grammar: Often used with 'of' and a skill: the science of cooking.
Patterns
- the science of something
Baking bread is part art and part science.
He has made a science of finding bargains.
The science of persuasion is taught in marketing courses.
Word forms
| plural | sciences |
|---|
Common combinations
- natural science
- She studies natural science at university.
- science fiction
- He reads science fiction on the train.
- computer science
- Computer science teaches how to design programs.
- science lab
- The science lab smelled of chemicals.
- settled science
- The link is settled science, according to the study.
Synonyms and how they differ
- knowledge
- Knowledge means anything known, while science means knowledge gained by testing and evidence.
- discipline
- Discipline is a broader word for any field of study, such as history, and not only science.
- research
- Research is the activity of investigating, whereas science also names the body of knowledge and method.
Opposites
Word family
- scientist noun
- a person who studies science
- scientific adjective
- based on science and its methods
- scientifically adverb
- in a way that follows science
- pseudoscience noun
- beliefs that claim to be scientific but are not
Commonly confused: science or conscience?
science vs conscience
Conscience is your inner sense of right and wrong, and it is spelled and pronounced differently from science.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'science' to mean a skill that needs careful method?
Choose one answer.
Only the sourdough sentence uses science figuratively for a careful craft. The others name a school subject or a genre.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “science”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.