Browse Definitions :
Definition

corollary

A corollary is a statement that follows naturally from some other statement that has either been proven or is generally accepted as true.  

A corollary may be undeniably true if the concept or theory it's based on is true. For example, the sum of the interior angles of any triangle is always 180 degrees. One corollary to that theorem: Each interior angle of an equilateral triangle is 60 degrees.  

However, corollaries are often considered accurate without being subjected to close scrutiny because they rely on the validity of the statements they are based on. The term is also used less stringently to refer to something that seems like it follows naturally from a statement that is considered true.  

Some examples of corollaries: 

Godwin's law states that if an online conversation goes on long enough, someone will almost certainly compare someone else to Hitler. A corollary to Godwin's law states that once that comparison has been made, the discussion is over because there is no point in continuing. 

As originally stated, Murphy's law was "If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it." Corollaries to Murphy's law are typically pessimistic refinements to the concept, such as, "if something is going to go wrong, it will happen at the time when it will do the most damage" and "if you foresee and prevent four potential disasters, a fifth possibility will present itself."

Parkinson's law maintains that the amount of work required for something will always increase so that it consumes any amount of time that may be allotted to it. One corollary to Parkinson’s law observes that, similarly, when the time available for a given task seems inadequate, the amount of work will decrease to hit a deadline.  Parkinson's law of triviality, another corollary, observes that people often devote a lot of time to unimportant details while avoiding the crucial – and possibly more difficult – elements of a task.

According to broken window theory, every problem that goes unattended in a given environment affects people's attitude toward that environment and leads to more problems. A corollary to that theory maintains that well-tended environments are conducive to continued good management and maintenance. 

 

This was last updated in September 2017

Continue Reading About corollary

Networking
  • firewall as a service (FWaaS)

    Firewall as a service (FWaaS), also known as a cloud firewall, is a service that provides cloud-based network traffic analysis ...

  • private 5G

    Private 5G is a wireless network technology that delivers 5G cellular connectivity for private network use cases.

  • NFVi (network functions virtualization infrastructure)

    NFVi (network functions virtualization infrastructure) encompasses all of the networking hardware and software needed to support ...

Security
  • virus (computer virus)

    A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches itself to a program or file. A virus can replicate and spread across an ...

  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

    Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is an advanced certification that indicates that an individual possesses the ...

  • cryptography

    Cryptography is a method of protecting information and communications using codes, so that only those for whom the information is...

CIO
  • B2B (business to business)

    B2B (business-to-business) is a type of commerce involving the exchange of products, services or information between businesses, ...

  • return on investment (ROI)

    Return on investment (ROI) is a crucial financial metric investors and businesses use to evaluate an investment's efficiency or ...

  • big data as a service (BDaaS)

    Big data as a service (BDaS) is the delivery of data platforms and tools by a cloud provider to help organizations process, ...

HRSoftware
  • talent acquisition

    Talent acquisition is the strategic process an organization uses to identify, recruit and hire the people it needs to achieve its...

  • human capital management (HCM)

    Human capital management (HCM) is a comprehensive set of practices and tools used for recruiting, managing and developing ...

  • Betterworks

    Betterworks is performance management software that helps workforces and organizations to improve manager effectiveness and ...

Customer Experience
  • martech (marketing technology)

    Martech (marketing technology) refers to the integration of software tools, platforms, and applications designed to streamline ...

  • transactional marketing

    Transactional marketing is a business strategy that focuses on single, point-of-sale transactions.

  • customer profiling

    Customer profiling is the detailed and systematic process of constructing a clear portrait of a company's ideal customer by ...

Close