hard science

American  

noun

1. 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.

---

hard science British  

noun

1. 1. one of the natural or physical sciences, such as physics, chemistry, biology, geology, or astronomy

   2. ( as modifier )

      a hard-science lecture

---

Other Word Forms

• hard scientist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of hard science

First recorded in 1965–70

Compare meaning

How does hard-science compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hard science vs. soft science

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hard science

How much hard science backs all of this?

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

“It shows a lot of hard science at work that’s actually going to have an impact on the public and hopefully make people safer,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2024

The question of how much hard science the average viewer wants in their sci-fi is also relevant, although “Game of Thrones” executive producers Weiss, Benioff and Woo make these concepts commonly accessible.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2024

None of this alone equates to hard science.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 8, 2023

The cyclotron’s celebrity as a technological phenomenon fed on itself, fueling its inventor’s preference for engineering and salesmanship over the tedious drudgery of hard science.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik