thesis

[thee-sis]

noun

plural

theses 

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

thesis

/ 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

thesis

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of thesis¹

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; -sis

Word History and Origins

Origin of thesis¹

C16: via Late Latin from Greek: a placing, from tithenai to place

Example Sentences

In his 1950 master’s thesis, Naidorf imagined a future in which computers would proliferate and become compact, eliminating the need for sprawling offices.

From Los Angeles Times

His thesis at the Navy Academy was in the unheard of topic of liquid-fuel engines.

From BBC

The two share a natural, enviable rapport, and when Agnes submits her thesis, Decker is all too happy to sing her praises, offering to give her notes firsthand.

From Salon

For a time he followed a dual track, music and academia, though he never completed the PhD thesis he began while pursuing doctoral studies at Harvard and Columbia University.

From Los Angeles Times

The Cheesecake Factory’s spiral-bound novella of a menu feels less like dinner and more like a psychedelic thesis on American appetite.

From Salon

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.