spoon theory

noun

An informal metaphor for chronic illness or disability that uses "spoons" to represent the finite units of physical and mental energy that a person has available for daily tasks.

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Meanings

nounspoon theory (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAn informal metaphor for chronic illness or disability that uses "spoons" to represent the finite units of physical and mental energy that a person has available for daily tasks.

Origin

Coined by writer and disability advocate Christine Miserandino in a 2003 blog post recounting an incident in which she explained living with lupus to a friend in a diner by gathering spoons from other tables to serve as visual props for a metaphor.

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Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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