Plural of thesis; statements or theories put forward as premises to be maintained or proved, or long essays presenting original research for academic degrees.
From Greek thesis 'a proposition, something set down,' from tithenai 'to place, put.' The academic sense of a dissertation emerged in the 17th century from the earlier meaning of a proposition to be debated.
Martin Luther's famous 95 Theses, nailed to a church door in 1517, exemplify the original meaning of thesis as debatable propositions rather than lengthy research papers. The transformation from 'thesis as argument' to 'thesis as dissertation' reflects the evolution of universities from medieval debate societies to modern research institutions.
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