Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

[ suh-peer-hwawrf, -hwohrf, -wawrf, -wohrf ]

/ səˈpɪərˈʰwɔrf, -ˈʰwoʊrf, -ˈwɔrf, -ˈwoʊrf /

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Definition of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

noun

a theory developed by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf that states that the structure of a language determines or greatly influences the modes of thought and behavior characteristic of the culture in which it is spoken.

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Also called Whorfian hypothesis.

Origin of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

First recorded in 1950–55

Words nearby Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

sapient, sapiential, sapindaceous, sapiosexual, Sapir, Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, sapless, sapling, sapo-, sapodilla, sapodilla family

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

How to use Sapir-Whorf hypothesis in a sentence

Though researchers have struggled to understand exactly what contributes to this gender difference, Dr. Rohan has one hypothesis.
9 Ways to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder|DailyBurn|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The leading hypothesis for the ultimate source of the Ebola virus, and where it retreats in between outbreaks, lies in bats.
Bats’ Link to Ebola Finally Solved|Carrie Arnold|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1996, John Paul II called the Big Bang theory “more than a hypothesis.”
Even the Pope Isn’t a Hard-Core Creationist|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To be clear: There have been no double-blind or controlled studies that conclusively confirm this hair-loss hypothesis.
Birth Control Made My Hair Fall Out, and I’m Not the Only One|Molly Oswaks|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The bacteria-driven-ritual hypothesis ignores the huge diversity of reasons that could push someone to perform a religious ritual.
The Midichlorians Made Me Do It: Can Microbes Explain Religion?|Michael Schulson|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And remember it is by our hypothesis the best possible form and arrangement of that lesson.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Taken in connection with what we know of the nebulæ, the proof of Laplace's nebular hypothesis may fairly be regarded as complete.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
What has become of the letter from M. de St. Mars, said to have been discovered some years ago, confirming this last hypothesis?
Notes and Queries, Number 196, July 30, 1853|Various
In the Hebrew the Beautiful place is expressed by the word Sapir, which some take for the proper name of a city.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
To admit that there had really been any communication between the dead man and the living one is also an hypothesis.
Urania|Camille Flammarion

British Dictionary definitions for Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

noun

the theory that human languages determine the structure of the real world as perceived by human beings, rather than vice versa, and that this structure is different and incommensurable from one language to another

Word Origin for Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

named after Edward Sapir (1884–1939), US anthropologist and linguist, and Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1943), US linguist

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