Teorik

Teorik is an adjective used in Turkish and Indonesian to denote things related to theory, as opposed to practice. The term is a loanword from European languages, often traced to French théorique or Dutch theoretisch, with its ultimate linguistic ancestry in Greek theōrikos, meaning concerned with theory or theoretical reasoning. In both Turkish and Indonesian, teorik appears in academic, scientific, and everyday discourse to describe concepts, models, or arguments that are theoretical rather than experimental or applied.

In usage, teorik frequently appears in phrases such as a teorik model, teorik çerçeve (theoretical framework) in Turkish, or kerangka teoretis and pendekatan teorik in Indonesian. It is commonly contrasted with terms for practical or empirical knowledge, such as Turkish pratik or empirik and Indonesian praktis or empiris. This contrast helps distinguish ideas developed through abstract reasoning from those grounded in observation or hands-on experience.

In educational and research contexts, teorik knowledge refers to understanding derived from concepts, theories, and general laws, while practical or empirical knowledge emphasizes application and data gathered from real-world testing. The term also appears across disciplines, including philosophy, social sciences, and natural sciences, to flag discussions focused on theory, assumptions, and explanatory frameworks rather than specific cases or experiments.

See also: theory, theoretical framework, epistemology.