in theory

prepositional phrase

Theoretically.

“That sounds fine in theory, but will it work in practice?”

Similar
in principlein essence
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. Theoretically.

    That sounds fine in theory, but will it work in practice?

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbwith regard to fundamentals although not concerning details

Similar
in principlein essence
Also see
in essencein principle

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Esperanto teorie
  • teorieTranslations
Polish w teorii
  • w teoriiTranslations
Spanish en teoría
  • en teoríaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

in theory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20theory

MLA

“in theory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20theory. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in theory,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20theory.

Source: in theory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.