science

American  

[sahy-uhns] / ˈsaɪ əns /

noun

1. a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws.

   the mathematical sciences.

2. systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.

3. any of the branches of natural or physical science.

4. systematized knowledge in general.

5. knowledge, as of facts or principles; knowledge gained by systematic study.

6. a particular branch of knowledge.

7. skill, especially reflecting a precise application of facts or principles; proficiency.

   Synonyms:

   discipline, method, technique, art

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science British  

/ ˈsaɪəns /

noun

1. the systematic study of the nature and behaviour of the material and physical universe, based on observation, experiment, and measurement, and the formulation of laws to describe these facts in general terms

2. the knowledge so obtained or the practice of obtaining it

3. any particular branch of this knowledge

   the pure and applied sciences

4. any body of knowledge organized in a systematic manner

5. skill or technique

6. archaic knowledge

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science Scientific  

/ sī′əns /

1. The investigation of natural phenomena through observation, theoretical explanation, and experimentation, or the knowledge produced by such investigation.

2. ◆ Science makes use of the scientific method, which includes the careful observation of natural phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis, the conducting of one or more experiments to test the hypothesis, and the drawing of a conclusion that confirms or modifies the hypothesis.

3. See Note at hypothesis

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Usage

Spelling tips for science The word science is hard to spell for two reasons. It uses two letters to make an [ s ] sound, sc-. It is also an exception to the classic rule: I before E, except after C. In this case, the rule does not apply. How to spell science: First, remember that you learn science in school, another hard word to spell that also starts with sc. Second, remember that science doesn't follow the classic “I before E except after C” rule because the i is pronounced separately from the e that follows it (resulting in a two-syllable word), instead of being pronounced together as a single vowel sound.

Other Word Forms

• antiscience
  adjective
• interscience
  adjective
• nonscience
  noun
• proscience
  adjective
• subscience
  noun

Etymology

Origin of science

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin scientia “knowledge,” equivalent to scient- (stem of sciēns “knowing,” present participle of scīre “to know”) + -ia -ia

Explanation

Science is the field of study concerned with discovering and describing the world around us by observing and experimenting. Biology, chemistry, and physics are all branches of science. Science is an "empirical" field, that is, it develops a body of knowledge by observing things and performing experiments. The meticulous process of gathering and analyzing data is called the "scientific method," and we sometimes use science to describe the knowledge we already have. Science is also what's involved in the performance of something complicated: "the science of making a perfect soufflé."

Example Sentences

The findings, published in Science Advances, add powerful support to the increasingly discussed "tripartite origins" theory of Japanese ancestry.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

"Astrobiology is fundamentally a forensic science," said Gideon Yoffe, postdoctoral researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and first author of the study.

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

It's being widely noted, too, that they included Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Science Secretary Liz Kendall, ministers who are seen as ideologically and personally close to Streeting.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

“Overall, this was a mixed-to-negative print: revenue was only modestly light, but profitability and cash flow were the real issues,” wrote Vinci Zhang, a research analyst at data firm M Science.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

I greet the two large statues of draped women sitting in long skirts outside the library: Art, holding a paintbrush, and Science, holding the world.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

Related Words

• art
• discipline
• education
• information
• learning
• skill
• system
• technique