hard science

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noun

any of the natural or physical sciences, as chemistry, biology, physics, or astronomy, in which aspects of the universe are investigated by means of hypotheses and experiments.

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Compare soft science.

Origin of hard science

First recorded in 1965–70

Words nearby hard science

hard row to hoe, hard rubber, hards, hard sauce, hardscape, hard science, hardscrabble, hard sell, hard-set, hard-shell, hard-shell clam

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use hard science in a sentence

It’s a hard science and this type of research is common at credible groups and consultancies—and firms that aren’t making good-faith efforts to check their own assumptions are often wasting a whole lot of your money.
Surprising Data Shows Political Letter-Writing Still Gets Out the Vote|Philip Elliott|October 1, 2021|Time
While aloft, the crew will also be doing some hard science—and a bit of less-hard science.
Inspiration4 Makes Space History With First-Ever All-Civilian Orbital Launch|Jeffrey Kluger|September 16, 2021|Time
Many young people have made it extremely clear that without fixing this problem, nothing else really matters—and that stance is backed up by cold, hard science.
Kids are suffering from climate anxiety. It’s time for adults to do something.|Sara Kiley Watson|July 8, 2021|Popular-Science
In the hard sciences in many cases you not only have the original research, but you have a first replication also published in Science.
Policymaking Is Not a Science (Yet) (Ep. 405)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 13, 2020|Freakonomics

As an example of good science-and-society policymaking, the history of fluoride may be more of a cautionary tale.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Citizens, perhaps, need to feel like they can communicate something to science.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Just the hard-on before you shoot unarmed members of the public.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But so-called jungle primaries are notoriously hard to predict or poll.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races|David Freedlander|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“I heard Jeffrey was interested in supporting science and I contacted him,” Krauss said.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He thought they were now in touch with our troops at "X" but that they had been through some hard fighting to get there.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
However this be, it is hard to say that these fibs have that clear intention to deceive which constitutes a complete lie.
Children's Ways|James Sully
As the weeks wore on, the pretence of practical teaching was quietly dropped, and we crammed our science out of the text-book.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
And it would be hard indeed, if so remote a prince's notions of virtue and vice were to be offered as a standard for all mankind.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
I cannot see in science, nor in experience, nor in history any signs of such a God, nor of such intervention.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford

British Dictionary definitions for hard science

hard science

noun

one of the natural or physical sciences, such as physics, chemistry, biology, geology, or astronomy
(as modifier)a hard-science lecture

Derived forms of hard science

hard scientist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012