science

American  

[sahy-uhns] / ˈsaɪ əns /

noun

• sciences
  plural

1. a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws.

   the mathematical sciences.

2. systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.

3. any of the branches of natural or physical science.

4. systematized knowledge in general.

5. knowledge, as of facts or principles; knowledge gained by systematic study.

6. a particular branch of knowledge.

7. skill, especially reflecting a precise application of facts or principles; proficiency.

   Synonyms:

   discipline, method, technique, art

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science British  

/ ˈsaɪəns /

noun

1. the systematic study of the nature and behaviour of the material and physical universe, based on observation, experiment, and measurement, and the formulation of laws to describe these facts in general terms

2. the knowledge so obtained or the practice of obtaining it

3. any particular branch of this knowledge

   the pure and applied sciences

4. any body of knowledge organized in a systematic manner

5. skill or technique

6. archaic knowledge

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science Scientific  

/ sī′əns /

1. The investigation of natural phenomena through observation, theoretical explanation, and experimentation, or the knowledge produced by such investigation.

2. ◆ Science makes use of the scientific method, which includes the careful observation of natural phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis, the conducting of one or more experiments to test the hypothesis, and the drawing of a conclusion that confirms or modifies the hypothesis.

3. See Note at hypothesis

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Usage

Spelling tips for science The word science is hard to spell for two reasons. It uses two letters to make an [ s ] sound, sc-. It is also an exception to the classic rule: I before E, except after C. In this case, the rule does not apply. How to spell science: First, remember that you learn science in school, another hard word to spell that also starts with sc. Second, remember that science doesn't follow the classic “I before E except after C” rule because the i is pronounced separately from the e that follows it (resulting in a two-syllable word), instead of being pronounced together as a single vowel sound.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonscience
  noun
• subscience
  noun
• antiscience
  adjective
• interscience
  adjective
• proscience
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sciences
  plural

Etymology

Origin of science

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin scientia “knowledge,” equivalent to scient- (stem of sciēns “knowing,” present participle of scīre “to know”) + -ia -ia

Explanation

Science is the field of study concerned with discovering and describing the world around us by observing and experimenting. Biology, chemistry, and physics are all branches of science. Science is an "empirical" field, that is, it develops a body of knowledge by observing things and performing experiments. The meticulous process of gathering and analyzing data is called the "scientific method," and we sometimes use science to describe the knowledge we already have. Science is also what's involved in the performance of something complicated: "the science of making a perfect soufflé."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

science sciences

Haden was raised in San Diego and graduated from University City High before obtaining his bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

This community science effort follows dogs throughout their lives, with owners contributing detailed survey information and, in some cases, physical samples.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

Direct imaging represents an important step forward in exoplanet science.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

He decided not to follow his father and grandfather to Oxford University, instead flying to California to enrol at the University of Berkeley, where he studied political science.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

He made sleeping mats stuffed with rustling palm fronds, a table and two stools, a desk, bookcases and shelves for his science stuff, coconut-shell bowls, and seashell plates.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

Faculty members in humanities, social sciences and arts have also weighed in, saying that verbal reasoning and writing skills were lacking too.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

Cofnas works as a postdoctoral researcher at the university's department of philosophy and moral sciences, according to his website.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Anderson, a professor of nutritional sciences at U of T's Temerty Faculty of Medicine, says the evidence from human research has not always matched those concerns.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

But for all the advances in group theory, quantum complexity and theoretical computer science, AI hasn’t gotten as far in the less theoretical sciences.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

Along with being an unkind dig at astronomers, this tells us a bit about the methods of the natural sciences as against math.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• art
• discipline
• education
• information
• learning
• skill
• system
• technique