thesis
a proposition stated or put forward for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections: He vigorously defended his thesis on the causes of war.
a subject for a composition or essay.
a dissertation on a particular subject in which one has done original research, as one presented by a candidate for a diploma or degree.
Music. the downward stroke in conducting; downbeat.: Compare arsis (def. 1).
Prosody.
a part of a metrical foot that does not bear the ictus or stress.
(less commonly) the part of a metrical foot that bears the ictus.: Compare arsis (def. 2).
Philosophy. See under Hegelian dialectic.
Origin of thesis
1word story For thesis
Thesis with the meaning “a proposition put forward to be discussed, proved, or defended” appeared in 1579; the more specific meaning “a dissertation required for an academic degree” dates from the second half of the 17th century. These meanings developed from the rhetorical sense in Latin and Greek.
Other words for thesis
Words that may be confused with thesis
- 1. antithesis, synthesis, thesis
- 2. dissertation, thesis
Words Nearby thesis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use thesis in a sentence
“The Saudis have been proving the thesis of the film — they do in fact have an army,” said Thor Halvorssen, founder and chief executive of the nonprofit Human Rights Foundation, which funded the movie.
An alleged Saudi troll campaign is targeting a movie about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi | Steven Zeitchik | January 21, 2021 | Washington PostIt’s a hypothesis that Bush pursued in her master’s thesis, and last year she began attending virtual Goth parties in a final round of field work before defending her doctoral thesis later this year.
Do ‘elder Goths’ hold the secret to aging successfully? | David Walter | January 12, 2021 | Washington PostWhile this partnership was planned prior to the coronavirus outbreak, co-founder Jordana Kier said the pandemic instantly proved out the expansion thesis.
They’ve had to defend that thesis for a very, very long time in front of a variety of different customers and different people.
General Catalyst’s Katherine Boyle and Peter Boyce are looking for ‘obsessive’ founders | Jordan Crook | December 11, 2020 | TechCrunchOver the past decade, In-Q-Tel has been one of the most active investors in the commercial space sector, with a broad investment thesis that touches many aspects of the sector.
Get fast money for your space startup at TC Sessions Space this December | Alexandra Ames | November 9, 2020 | TechCrunch
In “Back Home,” Gil also revisits the nostalgia for the South explored in his Johns Hopkins thesis, “Circle of Stone.”
‘The Prince of Chocolate City’: When Gil Scott-Heron Became A Music Icon | Marcus Baram | November 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAt least father and son were in alignment on this central thesis: acting “gay”—bad; being thought of as gay—bad.
Her doctoral thesis, says Ramin Takloo at the University of Illinois, was simply outstanding.
Iranian Math Genius Mirzakhani Unveiled by President Rouhani | IranWire | August 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMarshall McLuhan long ago argued the now accepted thesis that different mediums have different influences on thinking.
He wrote his Master's thesis on the underrepresentation of young people in Congress.
Candidates in Maine, Nebraska, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., Challenge Republicans and Democrats Alike | Linda Killian | July 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd indeed for most young men a college thesis is but an exercise for sharpening the wits, rarely dangerous in its later effects.
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl BeckerIt will be for the reader to determine whether the main thesis of the book has gained or lost by the new evidence.
The Modes of Ancient Greek Music | David Binning MonroBut the word thesis, when applied to Systems, does not mean the 'position' of single notes, but of groups of notes.
The Modes of Ancient Greek Music | David Binning MonroThis conclusion, it need hardly be said, is in entire agreement with the main thesis of the preceding pages.
The Modes of Ancient Greek Music | David Binning MonroSundry outlying Indians, with ammunition to waste, took belly and knee rests and strengthened the thesis to the contrary.
Blazed Trail Stories | Stewart Edward White
British Dictionary definitions for thesis
/ (ˈθiːsɪs) /
a dissertation resulting from original research, esp when submitted by a candidate for a degree or diploma
a doctrine maintained or promoted in argument
a subject for a discussion or essay
an unproved statement, esp one put forward as a premise in an argument
music the downbeat of a bar, as indicated in conducting
(in classical prosody) the syllable or part of a metrical foot not receiving the ictus: Compare arsis
philosophy the first stage in the Hegelian dialectic, that is challenged by the antithesis
Origin of thesis
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for thesis
The central idea in a piece of writing, sometimes contained in a topic sentence.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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