Theoretikos

Theoretikos is a transliteration of the Greek adjective θεωρητικός (theōretikós), meaning “theoretical” or “pertaining to theory.” It is cognate with the English word theoretical and is related to the noun theoria (theory, contemplation) and the verb theoreō (to observe, consider). In Greek and in translations of Greek philosophical works, the term serves as a descriptor for ideas, methods, or disciplines oriented toward theory rather than practice.

In English-language scholarship, the forms theoretic or theoretical are far more common, but the Greek loanword appears in discussions that address the theoretical dimension of a subject or in philological or historical treatments of Greek terminology. The term may also appear in transliterations or descriptions within studies of Greek philosophy, epistemology, or the philosophy of science to distinguish theoretical inquiry from practical or ethical concerns.

Historically, Latin translators rendered θεωρητικός as the theoreticus, and medieval writers sometimes used related terms to distinguish theoretical from practical sciences. In contemporary usage within Greek, θεωρητικός is the standard adjective for “theoretical” and can function nominally when referring to someone who focuses on theory, with proper inflection according to context.

See also: Theory, Theoretical, Theoria, Theoreticism.