thesis

American  

[thee-sis] / ˈθi sɪs /

noun

theses plural

1. a proposition stated or put forward for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections.

   He vigorously defended his thesis on the causes of war.

   Synonyms:

   proposal, contention, theory

2. a subject for a composition or essay.

3. a dissertation on a particular subject in which one has done original research, as one presented by a candidate for a diploma or degree.

4. Music. the downward stroke in conducting; downbeat.

5. Prosody.

   1. a part of a metrical foot that does not bear the ictus or stress.

   2. (less commonly) the part of a metrical foot that bears the ictus.

6. Philosophy. Hegelian dialectic

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thesis British  

/ ˈθiːsɪs /

noun

1. a dissertation resulting from original research, esp when submitted by a candidate for a degree or diploma

2. a doctrine maintained or promoted in argument

3. a subject for a discussion or essay

4. an unproved statement, esp one put forward as a premise in an argument

5. music the downbeat of a bar, as indicated in conducting

6. (in classical prosody) the syllable or part of a metrical foot not receiving the ictus Compare arsis

7. philosophy the first stage in the Hegelian dialectic, that is challenged by the antithesis

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thesis Cultural  

1. The central idea in a piece of writing, sometimes contained in a topic sentence.

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Usage

Plural word for thesis The plural form of thesis is theses, pronounced [ thee-seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -is are also formed in this way, including hypothesis/hypotheses, crisis/crises, and axis/axes. A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices. Irregular plurals that are formed like theses derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek.

Etymology

Origin of thesis

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek thésis “a setting down, something set down,” equivalent to the- (stem of tithénai “to put, set down”) + -sis noun suffix; see -sis

Explanation

A thesis is the most important or foundational idea of an argument. If the thesis of your paper is that chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla, you'll need to back that up with plenty of sundae-based research. The noun thesis has more than one important sense to it. One definition of thesis is that it is the most important or foundational idea of an argument, presentation, or piece of writing. But it can also mean a large work of art, criticism, or scientific research that represents original research and is generally the final requirement for an academic degree.

Example Sentences

The young researcher has been investigating this theory as part of his Master's Thesis in the research group headed by Prof. Martin Sander in the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Bonn.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2024

The essays that spawned the famous Cluetrain Manifesto in 1999 said it best in Thesis 7: “hyperlinks subvert hierarchy.”

From Slate • Dec. 9, 2022

Thesis: The central or main idea that you will convey in your report.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

Margery had formed the core idea of a whole Thesis, drawing together gorgeous patterns of thought into Paragraph after Paragraph, with more finding their places in her structure every day.

From The Verge • Feb. 8, 2019

Thesis II: God wills to save every human being.

From Grace, Actual and Habitual A Dogmatic Treatise by Preuss, Arthur

Related Words

• contention
• hypothesis
• opinion
• premise
• proposition
• supposition
• theory