Word.ws English Dictionary

Duhem-Quine problem

Duhem-Quine problem proper noun: the problem that it is impossible to experimentally test a scientific hypothesis in isolation, because every empirical test requires one or more background assumptions.

Proper noun

the Duhem-Quine problem

  1. The problem that it is impossible to experimentally test a scientific hypothesis in isolation, because every empirical test requires one or more background assumptions.

Origin of Duhem-Quine problem

Named after French physicist Pierre Duhem and American logician Willard Van Orman Quine, who wrote about similar concepts.

Questions about Duhem-Quine problem

What does Duhem-Quine problem mean?
Duhem-Quine problem means the problem that it is impossible to experimentally test a scientific hypothesis in isolation, because every empirical test requires one or more background assumptions.
What part of speech is Duhem-Quine problem?
Duhem-Quine problem is a proper noun.

Words near Duhem-Quine problem in the dictionary

  1. Duhaney
  2. Duhart
  3. Duharts
  4. Duhatan
  5. Duhe
  6. Duhem-Quine problem
  7. Duhemian
  8. Duhes
  9. Duhok
  10. Duhon
  11. Duhons

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: Duhem-Quine problem (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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