thesis
thesis — noun
1. A long, formal piece of writing in which a student presents their own research a
A long, formal piece of writing in which a student presents their own research and findings, submitted in order to earn an advanced university degree such as a master's or a doctorate.
Ife spent two years writing her thesis on climate change policy in Southeast Asia.
collocation: thesis on [topic]
Before submitting his thesis, Théo had to present his findings to the department.
Aoi's doctoral thesis was published as a book by a university press.
The library keeps a copy of every master's thesis submitted at the university.
Valentina and her supervisor discussed how to strengthen the thesis before the deadline.
- dissertation
a very long research paper, typically for a doctorate; often interchangeable with thesis in UK English but distinguished from it in US academic usage
- paper
a much shorter academic writing piece, not as formal or lengthy as a thesis
文法句型
thesis + on/about [topic]
master's/doctoral/PhD thesis
write/submit/complete/defend a thesis
用法筆記
In US English, thesis usually refers to a master's-level paper, while dissertation is more common for doctoral work. In UK English, thesis is used for both levels. The topic is typically introduced by the preposition on (not about).
常見錯誤
2. The main claim or central idea that a writer, speaker, or researcher tries to pr
The main claim or central idea that a writer, speaker, or researcher tries to prove or defend with reasoning and evidence.
The book's main thesis is that economic growth does not always lead to greater happiness.
thesis + that-clause for stating the central claim
Jisoo argued her thesis so clearly that even people who disagreed found it convincing.
argued + thesis
The professor asked the class to identify the thesis of each essay they read.
Henrik's thesis — that daily reading habits shape how people think — was supported by years of data.
Many readers disagreed with the article's central thesis about social media's effects on teenagers.
- argument
the overall line of reasoning used to prove a point; broader than thesis, which is the single central claim
- claim
a statement that something is true; often one of several claims that together build a thesis
- premise
a starting assumption from which a conclusion is drawn; a thesis is usually the conclusion, not the premise
文法句型
thesis + that-clause
possessive + thesis
central/main/underlying thesis
用法筆記
A thesis in this sense is more than just a topic or a question — it is a specific assertion that can be supported or challenged with evidence. In academic essays, it is often called a thesis statement and appears near the end of the introduction.