Baconian Theory
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The theory that Lord Bacon wrote the plays attributed to Shake- speare.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Baconian Theory” mean?
The theory that Lord Bacon wrote the plays attributed to Shake- speare.
Is “Baconian Theory” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.