Occam's razor

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Oc·cam's razor

(ŏk′əmz)

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

(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

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]

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Noun

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"

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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References in periodicals archive ?

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.

75 not out

"While Lorenzana is right and I am so happy that is his position, when we come to argue our case to these features we must be as tight, precise and economical in our claims Occam's Razor because all we have is right.

'Philippines has right in SCS but no might yet'

Aether fell to Occam's Razor, the maxim to assume the simplest explanation.

Antony Flew's Question and Its Answer: How to Perceive God?

Occam's razor, a problem-solving principle stated in the 14th century, says that the simplest solution tends to be the correct one.

Working on an idea? KISS: The keep-it-simple-stupid principle works wonders in business

Hello Ambongo,Let us do a bit of Sherlock-que deductory analysis, or maybe Occam's Razor, shall we?The mechanic came in and said the ECU (what you call the computer box) had a problem.

CAR CLINIC: The ignition may be the reason why your car has stalled

Occam's razor is a principle that says when something happens that can be explained in multiple ways, the simplest explanation is usually the right one.

Why Facebook could do with a good breaking up

Ecology studies are difficult and each factor affects the next one, including "nutrition, predation, climate, and topography subject to feedback loops." The 14th century theologian and philosopher, William of Ockham, is famous for his law of parsimony known as Occam's Razor. As a problem-solving technique, Occam's Razor considers the hypothesis with the least number of explanations to have the highest likelihood of being truthful.

From the Publisher

"Taking its name from 'Occam's razor,' the problem-solving principle that the most straightforward solution is best, Occam Underwriting will bring clear thinking, innovation and data and analytics to complex insurance problems in cyber, space, energy and other lines," the London-based company said in a statement.

MGA Sciemus Rebranded as Occam Underwriting, New CEO Appointed

This habit of mind is composed of precisely what Occam's razor trims away.

Kiki Petrosino. Witch Wife

Blunting Occam's razor: Aligning medical education with studies of complexity.

The law of investigative parsimony

The authors invite the reader into this collective inquiry, and introduce Klosterman's Razor--a humble modification of Occam's Razor that holds open the radical pedagogical possibility of "wrongness".

UNSETTLING BINARIES OF KNOWLEDGE, CULTURE AND EDUCATION

The principle of Occam's razor tells us, "The simplest idea is usually the best idea." (1) We used this principle to solve our problem.