Theorem

How to spell theorem

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce theorem

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does theorem mean?

1. nounA statement, especially in mathematics, that has been or can be proved from accepted premises.

Theorem in a sentence

• The students had to prove the theorem using only the given axioms.

• The theorem about right-angled triangles is taught in every geometry class.

Where does theorem come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word comes from the Greek theōrēma, which meant a sight, a thing looked at, or a subject for contemplation. It was built on the verb theōrein, meaning 'to look at' or 'to consider closely', which in turn derived from theōros, a 'spectator' or onlooker. The same root for looking and contemplating gives us 'theory' and 'theatre', a place for watching, which is a useful reminder that a theorem is fundamentally something examined and proven. Latin borrowed the term as theorema, and English took it up in the middle of the sixteenth century, settling quickly into its mathematical sense of a proposition that can be demonstrated from accepted premises. The spelling keeps the Greek -em ending rather than the more familiar '-um', which is exactly where careful writers go wrong.

How the word is built

• theor- (from Greek theōrein: to look at, contemplate)
• -em (from -ema, noun of result)