scientific theory

noun

plural scientific theories

: a widely accepted comprehensive explanation for a natural phenomenon or group of phenomena that is supported by substantial evidence and rigorous testing

the scientific theory of evolution

Plate tectonics … and continental drift now provide a coherent story that links, predicts and explains a wide variety of geological phenomena. … Few other scientific theories have been so all-encompassing. The evidence that accumulated … was so overwhelming and so convincing that a somewhat fragmented science was transformed into a smooth, fully-integrated whole.

—Keith Bell

Word History

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above