# method

/ˈmɛθəd/ (US) · /mˈɛθəd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/method
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a way of doing something

noun · CEFR A2 · General-service

a planned or organized way of doing a task.

For teachers: a systematic procedure, technique, or mode of inquiry employed in a particular field or for a specific task.

- The scientists developed a new method for testing water quality in the river.
- The research team adopted a qualitative method to ensure they captured the nuanced experiences of the participants during the long-term study.

Usage: Often followed by the prepositions 'of' or 'for' plus a gerund, or 'to' plus an infinitive.

### 2. order and organization

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

the quality of being well-organized and logical.

For teachers: the quality of being systematic or orderly in thought or behavior.

- There is a certain method to his messy way of working.
- Although the archives appeared chaotic to an outsider, the librarian insisted there was a strict method to the filing system.

Usage: Often used in the idiomatic phrase 'method to one's madness'.

### 3. programming function

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a piece of code that belongs to a specific object or class and performs an action.

For teachers: a procedure or function associated with a class or object in object-oriented programming.

- You need to call the 'save' method to store the user's data in the database.
- The developer refactored the code to ensure that each method performed only one specific task, improving the overall maintainability of the application.

### 4. acting style

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a style of acting where the actor tries to feel the same emotions as the character.

For teachers: a technique of acting in which the actor aspires to complete emotional identification with a part.

- He is a method actor who stayed in character even when the cameras were off.
- Critics debated whether his commitment to the method actually enhanced the performance or simply made the production more difficult for his co-stars.

Teaching tip: Often capitalized as 'The Method' when referring specifically to the Stanislavski-based system.

## Examples

- We need to find a better method for cleaning the floors.
- The teacher introduced a new method of learning vocabulary that relies on spaced repetition instead of cramming.
- Although the traditional method of extracting the mineral was highly inefficient, the company hesitated to adopt newer technologies due to the steep initial costs of upgrading their facilities.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.