field theory

American  

noun

Physics.

1. a detailed mathematical description of the distribution and movement of matter under the influence of one or more fields.

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field theory Scientific  

1. An explicit mathematical description of physical phenomena that models physical forces using fields.

2. The study of fields and field extensions in algebra.

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Etymology

Origin of field theory

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

In 1999, Neves Valente took an optional class in quantum field theory and earned a near-perfect grade of 19 out of 20, professor Jorge Romão said after reviewing old paperwork.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

At this point, water displays scale invariance symmetry, and its behavior can be captured using conformal field theory.

From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025

In the late 1960s and early 1970s it was realized that these phase transitions can be described by the same kind of quantum field theory that had already been developed to understand elementary particle physics.

From Scientific American • Sep. 25, 2023

Turner: As far as we know, the basic building blocks of matter are quarks and leptons; the rules that govern them are described by the quantum field theory called the Standard Model.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2023

Both men were flying blind, neither having had the slightest training in electrical field theory.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik