in theory

according to a theory; theoretically. In theory, if I take my medicine regularly, I will get well. How things work in theory doesn't always match with how things work in reality.

in theory

possibly They could, in theory, have been paid twice if someone hadn't caught the error.

Opposite of: in practice Related vocabulary: in principle

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Rana (1)	-	Arabic
Nerina	-	Italian
GergŐ	GER-guu	Hungarian
Valerian	və-LIR-ee-ən (English)	History, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Romanian
Agmundr	-	Ancient Scandinavian
Bathsheba	bath-SHEE-bə (English)	Biblical