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science

n. C / U
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈsaɪəns// UK //sˈaɪəns// sci·ence Archaic General-service Humorous Informal

n. the study of the natural world through watching, testing, and facts. It is also a way of doing something very carefully or exactly.

n. the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. Often used metaphorically to describe a systematic or highly skilled approach to a specific activity.


SIMPLE

She loves studying science at school.

CONTEXTUAL

Recent advances in medical science have led to more effective treatments for common illnesses.

COMPLEX

While the technical aspects of the project are sound, the team must still master the social science of managing diverse stakeholder expectations.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English science, scyence, borrowed from Old French science, escience, from Latin scientia (“knowledge”), from sciens, the present participle stem of scire (“to know”).

Etymology 2

See scion.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general field of study; countable when referring to a specific branch, such as biology or physics.

Idioms3 entries

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