Clarifying The Term "Theory"

After the many years of  writing about science, I remain baffled over the public's continued ignorance over the term "theory."  Yes, many, if not most, people will use the term when "hypothesis", "speculation" or "idea" would be more indicative of reality.  However, by doing so, the term is cheapened.  All you have to do is reflect on what Creationists say about evolution, "It's only a theory."

"A scientific theory summarizes a hypothesis or group of hypotheses that have been supported with repeated testing. If enough evidence accumulates to support a hypothesis, it moves to the next step—known as a theory in the scientific method and becomes accepted as a valid explanation of a phenomenon."

http://www.livescience.com/21491-what-is-a-scientific-theory-definition-of-theory.html