a belief that can guide behavior; "the architect has a theory that more is less"; "they killed him on the theory that dead men tell no tales"
a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses"; "true in fact and theory"
something that is created by arranging several things to form a unified whole; "he envied the composition of their faculty"
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole; "harmonious composition is essential in a serious work of art"
an essay (especially one written as an assignment); "he got an A on his composition"
any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild
(of a mine or oil well) drilled speculatively in an area not known to be productive; "drilling there would be strictly a wildcat operation"; "a wildcat mine"; "wildcat drilling"; "wildcat wells"
outside the bounds of legitimate or ethical business practices; "wildcat currency issued by irresponsible banks"; "wildcat stock speculation"; "a wildcat airline"; "wildcat life insurance schemes"
not capable of being precisely or readily described; not easily put into words; "an indefinable feeling of terror"; "an abstract concept that seems indefinable"
defying expression or description; "indefinable yearnings"; "indescribable beauty"; "ineffable ecstasy"; "inexpressible anguish"; "unspeakable happiness"; "unutterable contempt"; "a thing of untellable splendor"
imposing or depending on or containing a condition; "conditional acceptance of the terms"; "lent conditional support"; "the conditional sale will not be complete until the full purchase price is paid"
able to attract interest or draw favorable attention; "He added an appealing and memorable figure to popular American mythology"- Vincent Starrett; "an appealing sense of humor"; "the idea of having enough money to retire at fifty is very appealing"
expressing earnest entreaty; "the appealing and frightened look worn by an injured dog"; "she holds out her hand for money, importunate, insistent"; "a pleading note in her voice"