theory of evolution
14
3.9
- noun
- /ˈθiəri əv ɪˈvɛlʊʃən/
- Specialized
:
teoría de la evolución
- Many scientists support the theory of evolution as it provides a framework for understanding biodiversity.
- Darwin's theory of evolution
- general theory of evolution
- theory of evolution by natural selection
And so now we can compare our genome today to the genome of the forms of life that Darwin's theory of evolution says we descended from.
- And so now we can compare our genome today to the genome of the forms of life that Darwin's theory of evolution says we descended from.
- And according to the theory of evolution, you know, if a change occurs and it's not useful, it disappears.
- Ha, are you not author of taxicab theory of evolution?
- The House of Lords doesn't gives more credence to the theory of evolution than that of intelligent design.
- And we have a promising proposal for how it works, which is a kind of theory of evolution.
- And I hope as you go forth in the world, however you encounter, you present yourself as someone who believes in the theory of evolution.
Examples
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First, let's reprise what I see as the major components of the theory of evolution.
Blog text (8) -
Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution to explain how species change over time.
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Is this an example of how the theory of evolution is taught in American schools?
Blog text (3) -
I also never believed in the theory of evolution until now.
Blog text (9) -
In crucial areas where the theory of evolution can be tested, it has failed.
Blog text (5) -
What does a belief in God have to do with an acceptance of the theory of evolution?
Blog text (14) -
I can have little patience with those who oppose, for instance, the theory of evolution.
Blog text (5) -
There, a schoolteacher named John Scopes was put on trial for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.
Academic text (2011) -
It seems that when the question is posed as to how life came to exist on our planet, the theory of evolution has become the dominant scientific view that is taught in our schools and universities across this great land of ours.
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Today, the validity of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection rests in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of genetics.
Academic text (2009)
Synonyms
13
7.5
The idea that species change over time by natural selection
1
7.2
The scientific theory that plants and animals developed from earlier forms over time
A scientific idea that living things slowly change and share common ancestors
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositional: 'theory' means an explanation or set of ideas and 'evolution' means change in species over time, with 'of' linking them. This standard noun + of + noun construction directly signals an explanation about evolution and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it.
Etymology
Theory of evolution comes from the words theory (a careful 'explanation') and evolution (a slow 'change over time' or 'unfolding' of living things), giving the image of a big idea that explains how life unfolds. So, it means the scientific explanation for how living things have slowly changed and become different over many generations.