theory: [16] The etymological notion underlying theory is of ‘looking’; only secondarily did it develop via ‘contemplation’ to ‘mental conception’. It comes via late Latin theōria from Greek theōríā ‘contemplation, speculation, theory’. This was a derivative of theōrós ‘spectator’, which was formed from the base thea- (source also of theásthai ‘watch, look at’, from which English gets theatre).
Also derived from theōrós was theōreín ‘look at’, which formed the basis of theórēma ‘speculation, intuition, theory’, acquired by English via late Latin theōrēma as theorem [16]. From the same source comes theoretical [17]. => theatre
theory (n.)
1590s, "conception, mental scheme," from Late Latin theoria (Jerome), from Greek theoria "contemplation, speculation; a looking at, viewing; a sight, show, spectacle, things looked at," from theorein "to consider, speculate, look at," from theoros "spectator," from thea "a view" (see theater) + horan "to see," possibly from PIE root *wer- (4) "to perceive" (see ward (n.)).
Earlier in this sense was theorical (n.), late 15c. Sense of "principles or methods of a science or art" (rather than its practice) is first recorded 1610s (as in music theory, which is the science of musical composition, apart from practice or performance). Sense of "an intelligible explanation based on observation and reasoning" is from 1630s.
双语例句
1. Punishment cannot be discussed in isolation from social theory.
不能脱离社会理论孤立地讨论惩罚。
来自柯林斯例句
2. There were some holes in that theory, some unanswered questions.
那个理论中有一些漏洞，一些问题没有解答。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Did you ever swallow the conspiracy theory about Kennedy?
你有没有轻信过有关肯尼迪总统遇刺的阴谋论？
来自柯林斯例句
4. Einstein had the chutzpah to discard common sense and long-established theory.
爱因斯坦敢于抛弃常识和长期公认的理论。
来自柯林斯例句
5. The book's aim was to make economic theory more digestible.