Occam's razor


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Oc·cam's razor

 (ŏk′əmz)
n.
Variant of Ockham's razor.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Occam's razor

n
(Philosophy) a variant spelling of Ockham's razor
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Oc′cam's ra′zor


n.
the principle in philosophy and science that assumptions introduced to explain a thing must not be multiplied beyond necessity, and hence the simplest of several hypotheses is always the best in accounting for unexplained facts.
Also called law of parsimony.
[1835–40; after William of Occam]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.Occam's Razor - the principle that entities should not be multiplied needlessly; the simplest of two competing theories is to be preferred
law of parsimony, Ockham's Razor, principle of parsimony
principle, rule - a rule or law concerning a natural phenomenon or the function of a complex system; "the principle of the conservation of mass"; "the principle of jet propulsion"; "the right-hand rule for inductive fields"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

Occam’s razor

n to apply Occam’s razor to something → etw komprimieren, etw auf das Wesentliche beschränken
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
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When I am presented with yet another conspiracy theory, the first question I ask is: 'Cui bono?', Latin for 'who benefits?' Another test I apply is Occam's Razor, a philosophical device conceived by an English friar, William of Ockham, in the 14th century.
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