set theory

noun

: a branch of mathematics or of symbolic logic that deals with the nature and relations of sets
set theoretic adjective

Examples of set theory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Ultimately, most experts now agree on a framework called the Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory with the axiom of choice, or ZFC for short. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 26 May 2026 But the resolution to Poincaré’s confusion would come not from geometry, but from a nascent branch of logic called set theory. Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 20 May 2026 Descriptive set theory dates back to Georg Cantor, who proved in 1874 that there are different sizes of infinity. Joseph Howlett, Wired News, 4 Jan. 2026 Cantor’s set theory flips the script in a sense. Big Think, 25 Nov. 2025 But the viewer doesn’t need to know a thing about set theory to find her organization of lines and angles beautiful. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of set theory was in 1936

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Cite this Entry

“Set theory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/set%20theory. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

set theory

noun
: a branch of mathematics that deals with sets and with relations between sets
set-theoretic
-ˌthē-ə-ˈret-ik
adjective

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