theorize

verb

the·o·rize | \ ˈthē-ə-ˌrīz

How to pronounce theorize (audio)

, ˈthir-ˌīz \

theorized; theorizing

Definition of theorize

intransitive verb

: to form a theory : speculate

transitive verb

1 : to form a theory about

2 : to propose as a theory

Other Words from theorize Example Sentences Learn More about theorize

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Examples of theorize in a Sentence

Many scientists have theorized about the possibility of life on other planets.

Recent Examples on the Web Archaeologists theorize that the murals were part of a compound of Maya nobles or diplomats living in the foreign city. — Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine, "Were These Ancient Mesoamerican Cities Friends Before They Became Foes?," 15 Apr. 2021 Teams that build an open-world environment must also theorize about novelty in that environment. — Mayank Kejriwal, The Conversation, "Embrace the unexpected: To teach AI how to handle new situations, change the rules of the game," 7 Apr. 2021 Stans were also quick to theorize that at least one song will feature Keith Urban. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, "Taylor Swift Challenged Fans to Decode Her Latest Puzzle—And We Think They Did," 2 Apr. 2021 Bringing a Black feminist lens to the project allowed Tubbs to theorize the women’s experiences of motherhood as both labor and liberation — in stark contrast to how some white feminist theorists have argued for understanding motherhood. — NBC News, "'Reclaiming our humanity': New book on three Black mothers and their sons who changed history," 30 Mar. 2021 Senior state officials theorize the police mistook the group of migrants for a local gang. — Elizabeth Findell, WSJ, "A Raid, Deportation and Massacre Hit Two Communities Thousands of Miles Apart," 13 Mar. 2021 What was that like for you week to week, watching everyone speculate and theorize about X-Men and Mephisto? — Devan Coggan, EW.com, "WandaVision creator breaks down the finale’s grief and moral ‘gray areas’," 10 Mar. 2021 These requirements aren’t easily satisfied on Mars, and scientists began to theorize how the mineral could have become so abundant. — Tess Joosse, Science | AAAS, "Substance found in Antarctic ice may solve a martian mystery," 26 Jan. 2021 Of course, with any Nolan movie, the film lives on in Reddit threads that try and piece together the Tenet character timeline and theorize whether Neil is actually Kat's son. — Shannon Carlin, refinery29.com, "What You Do & Don’t Need To Understand About Tenet Now That You’ve Finally Seen It," 16 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'theorize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near theorize

the Orthodox Church

theory of exchange

Statistics for theorize

Last Updated

10 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Theorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theorize. Accessed 18 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for theorize

theorize

verb

English Language Learners Definition of theorize

: to think of or suggest ideas about what is possibly true or real : to form or suggest a theory about something

See the full definition for theorize in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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