vitenskap

From vite +‎ -skap.

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋiːtn̩ˌskɑːp /

vitenskap m (definite singular vitenskapen, indefinite plural vitenskaper, definite plural vitenskapene)

1. science, scholarly knowledge, scholarship (collective discipline of learning acquired through any scholarly method; totality of knowledge)
2. any academic discipline; in general, the sciences and humanities taken as a whole

Vitenskap has a much broader meaning than the English word science. The English word science refers to systematically acquired, objective knowledge obtained through a particular methodology (such as the scientific method), and includes only natural sciences, social sciences, and formal sciences. In contrast, vitenskap also includes the humanities and philosophy and refers to learning and knowledge in general, whether obtained through scientific or non-scientific means. For example, writing a scholarly book about an author's life and works is vitenskap but not "science".

• vitskap (Nynorsk)