What does "thesis" mean?
Senses relating to logic, rhetoric, etc.; A proposition or statement supported by arguments.
Thesis
/ˈθiːsɪs/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Senses relating to logic, rhetoric, etc.; A proposition or statement supported by arguments.
- Grammar: thesis is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: dissertation, a priori principle, accent, accentuation.
- Useful contrasts: antithesis, brief report, conclusion.
- Usage evidence: He does not, in short, write with the candor of a man who is completely confident of his thesis.
How to use "thesis"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "thesis" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "thesis" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "thesis" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "thesis" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "thesis" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dissertation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "thesis", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Senses relating to logic, rhetoric, etc.; A proposition or statement supported by arguments. rhetoric
"I submit these nine theses to Wikipedia’s community and to the world. I do this, as Martin Luther said when he posted his famous 95 theses, “Out of love for the truth and the desire to elucidate it.” […] I am confident that every thesis stands on solid ground."
- 2 a treatise advancing a new point of view resulting from research; usually a requirement for an advanced academic degree wordnet
- 3 Senses relating to logic, rhetoric, etc.; A lengthy essay written to establish the validity of a thesis (sense 1.1), especially one submitted in order to complete the requirements for a non-doctoral degree in the US and a doctoral degree in the UK; a dissertation. broadly
"I told them of the grave, becoming, and ſublime deportment they ſhould aſſume upon this myſtical occaſion, and read them two homilies and a theſis of my own compoſing, in order to prepare them."
- 4 an unproved statement put forward as a premise in an argument wordnet
- 5 Senses relating to logic, rhetoric, etc.; A conjecture, especially one too vague to be formally stated or verified but useful as a working convention.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Senses relating to logic, rhetoric, etc.; An affirmation, or distinction from a supposition or hypothesis.
- 7 Senses relating to logic, rhetoric, etc.; In the dialectical method of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: the initial stage of reasoning where a formal statement of a point is developed; this is followed by antithesis and synthesis.
- 8 Senses relating to music and prosody.; The action of lowering the hand or bringing down the foot when indicating a rhythm; hence, an accented part of a measure of music or verse indicated by this action; an ictus, a stress.
- 9 Senses relating to music and prosody.; A depression of the voice when pronouncing a syllables of a word; hence, the unstressed part of the metrical foot of a verse upon which such a depression falls, or an unaccented musical note.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"He does not, in short, write with the candor of a man who is completely confident of his thesis."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "thesis"?
Common synonyms include: dissertation, a priori principle, accent, accentuation, affirmation, alexandrine.
How do you use "thesis" in a sentence?
He does not, in short, write with the candor of a man who is completely confident of his thesis.
How do you pronounce "thesis"?
Pronounced /ˈθiːsɪs/.
Etymology
From Late Middle English thesis (“lowering of the voice”) and also borrowed directly from its etymon Latin thesis (“proposition, thesis; lowering of the voice”), from Ancient Greek θέσῐς (thésĭs, “arrangement, placement, setting; conclusion, position, thesis; lowering of the voice”), from τῐ́θημῐ (tĭ́thēmĭ, “to place, put, set; to put down in writing; to consider as, regard”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do; to place, put”)) + -σῐς (-sĭs, suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result). The English word is a doublet of deed. Sense 1.1 (“proposition or statement supported by arguments”) is adopted from antithesis. Sense 1.4 (“initial stage of reasoning”) was first used by the German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814), and later applied to the dialectical method of his countryman, the philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831). The plural form theses is borrowed from Latin thesēs, from Ancient Greek θέσεις (théseis).