metatheory

American

[met-uh-thee-uh-ree, -theer-ee] / ˈmɛt əˌθi ə ri, -ˌθɪər i /

noun

a theory devised to analyze a theory.
the investigation and analysis of theories.

metatheory British

/ ˈmɛtəˌθɪərɪ, ˌmɛtəθɪəˈrɛtɪkəl /

noun

philosophical discussion of the foundations, structure, or results of some theory, such as metamathematics
a formal system that describes the structure of some other system See also metalanguage

"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

Other Word Forms

metatheoretical

adjective

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023