Meaning & use
theorise
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Meanings
verbintransitiveformal
To suggest an idea or explanation for something without having proof, based on reasoning rather than facts.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'about' or 'that': 'They theorised about the cause.'
Patterns
- theorise about something
- theorise that ...
- theorise on something
Scientists theorised about the origin of the strange signals.
Historians theorise that the city was abandoned after a drought.
It is easy to theorise about success when you are not the one taking risks.
verbtransitive
To develop a formal set of ideas or principles about a subject, especially in academic work.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'theorise a new model'. This use is more academic and less common than the intransitive one.
Patterns
- theorise a model
- theorise the relationship between something and something
The professor theorised a new framework for understanding language learning.
Researchers theorised the link between sleep and memory.
Word forms
| third person singular | theorises |
|---|---|
| past tense | theorised |
| past participle | theorised |
| -ing form | theorising |
Common combinations
- theorise about
- They spent the evening theorising about what had happened.
- theorise that
- Economists theorise that prices will rise next year.
- theorise on
- She wrote a paper theorising on the nature of consciousness.
- widely theorised
- It is widely theorised that the manuscript was written by a monk.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speculate
- To guess about something without firm evidence; 'theorise' often suggests a more systematic or academic kind of reasoning.
- hypothesize
- To propose a specific idea to be tested; 'theorise' is broader and can refer to developing a whole framework.
- suppose
- A general word for thinking something is probably true; it is less formal and does not imply a theory.
Opposites
Word family
- theory noun
- A set of ideas intended to explain something.
- theoretical adjective
- Based on ideas rather than practical experience.
- theorist noun
- A person who develops or studies theories.
- theorization noun
- The act of forming theories.
Commonly confused: theorise or theorize?
theorise vs theorize
This is the American spelling; 'theorise' is British. Choose one spelling and use it consistently.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'The team ___ that the virus came from animals.'
Choose one answer.
When 'theorise' is followed by a 'that' clause, no preposition is needed: 'theorised that ...'. 'Theorised about' and 'theorised on' need a noun phrase (e.g., 'theorised about the cause'), and 'theorised for' is not used with this meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “theorise”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.