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metatheory

[met-uh-thee-uh-ree, -theer-ee]
noun
  1. a theory devised to analyze a theory.
  2. the investigation and analysis of theories.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for metatheory

metatheory

noun
  1. philosophical discussion of the foundations, structure, or results of some theory, such as metamathematics
  2. a formal system that describes the structure of some other systemSee also metalanguage
Derived Formsmetatheoretical (ˌmɛtəθɪəˈrɛtɪkəl), adjective
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