Occam's Razor

A heuristic principle that, among competing explanatory hypotheses that equally account for observed data, prefers the hypothesis that makes the fewest assumptions (is simplest). It is a strategy for prioritizing hypotheses and minimizing unnecessary complexity, not a proof that the simplest hypothesis is true in reality.

A methodological principle that, among competing hypotheses or models that account equally well for the observed data, recommends selecting the one that posits the fewest assumptions or complexities necessary to achieve the explanatory or predictive objective. It is a heuristic for theory choice and model selection, not an ontological claim that reality is simple.

A methodological heuristic asserting that, among competing hypotheses that equally account for observed data, the hypothesis that posits the fewest unsupported assumptions or entities should be preferred; a pragmatic rule for theory choice, not a proof of truth.