What does theses mean?
In formal English, theses is the plural of thesis, a word that can refer to a sustained research project, especially one submitted for an advanced academic degree, or to a central claim developed in an argument. As a plural, theses most often names a collection of academic studies: a graduate library may hold hundreds of theses on subjects ranging from history to engineering. It can also denote multiple propositions or positions, especially in philosophical and scholarly writing. The plural is less common in everyday speech, where people usually speak of a single thesis or simply say “study” or “research paper.” When referring to a university’s repository, “theses” emphasizes the individual works submitted by postgraduate researchers. In philosophical prose, the same form can mean a set of related claims rather than academic dissertations, so context determines which sense is intended.
noun (plural)The plural form of thesis, referring to multiple research projects or dissertations, especially works submitted for an advanced academic degree. It can also refer to multiple central propositions or positions in an argument or philosophical system.
- Plural of thesis, especially referring to multiple academic research projects or dissertations.
- Plural of thesis, referring to multiple central propositions or positions in an argument or philosophical system.
"The university library preserves the theses submitted by graduates since 1890."
"Her two theses examined different aspects of urban migration."
"The philosopher developed several theses concerning the nature of language."
Theses is already the standard plural of thesis; use thesis for a single item or proposition.
"The department published four theses last year."
One thesis can earn a degree; a shelf of theses can become a library.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does theses come from?
English thesis comes through Latin from Greek thésis, meaning “a placing,” “position,” or “proposition,” from the verb tithēmi, “to put” or “place.” The word entered English in the late 16th century for a proposition or assertion, and its academic sense developed later. Thesis is cognate with words such as theme, thematic, and thetic, which reflect related Greek forms connected with placing or setting.
Related word forms
How theses is actually used
The word is primarily formal and academic. In everyday speech, a single research project is usually called a thesis or dissertation rather than one of a collection of theses.
Easily confused with theses
“Theses” is the plural noun meaning academic studies or propositions, while “these” is a demonstrative word used to point to particular people, things, or ideas.