law of parsimony
- noun
- /lɔː əv ˈpɑːrsɪmoʊni/
- Specialized
:
ley de la parsimonia
- Scientists often rely on the law of parsimony when developing theories to explain complex phenomena.
So here's where in my trade we talk about the law of parsimony.
- So here's where in my trade we talk about the law of parsimony.
Examples
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According to the law of parsimony, we should choose the simplest explanation that makes the fewest assumptions.
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The law of parsimony suggests that we should prefer explanations that are straightforward and easy to understand.
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An example of this, the law of parsimony, was operating in the ultimate triumph of the heliocentric Copernican theory over the older geocentric Ptolemaic theory.
Academic text (1990)
Synonyms
3
8.0
A rule that prefers the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions
An idea that, among different explanations, you should choose the simplest one
A rule that prefers the simplest explanation when other facts are equal
Surface Forms
Morphology
law + of + parsimony
If a learner knows 'law' as a principle and 'parsimony' as frugality/simplicity, the meaning 'a principle favoring simplicity' is directly compositional from the parts. The 'law of X' construction is a standard, cross-linguistic pattern, so the overall sense is predictable from the constituents.
Etymology
Law of parsimony comes from the old image called Occam's razor, used by the thinker William of Ockham to say we should 'shave off' extra ideas. That's why the law of parsimony means pick the 'simplest explanation' and avoid extra assumptions.