principle that entities should not be needlessly multiplied.' name='description'> Occam's razor - definition and meaning

Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The principle that entities should not be needlessly multiplied.
  • noun sciences The principle of preferring the simpler of two competing theories.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the principle that entities should not be multiplied needlessly; the simplest of two competing theories is to be preferred

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

After William of Occam, an advocate of the law of parsimony, and the idea of a razor as a tool that trims or shaves. See citations for coinage.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Occam's razor.

Examples

    Sorry, no example sentences found.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.