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View synonyms for

empirical

[em-pir-i-kuhl]

adjective

  1. derived from or guided by direct experience or by experiment, rather than abstract principles or theory.

    Empirical evidence of changes in kelp consumption was gathered by measuring the bite marks in seaweed fronds.

    Synonyms: , ,
    Antonyms: ,
  2. depending upon experience or observation alone, without using scientific method or theory, and hence sometimes insufficiently authoritative, especially as in medicine.

    That is nothing but an empirical conclusion with no regard for the laws of thermodynamics.

    Synonyms: , ,
    Antonyms: ,
  3. provable or verifiable by experience or experiment, as scientific laws.

    Theoretical physics is criticized for producing complex concepts that are mathematical, not empirical.



empirical

/ ɛˈɪɪə /

adjective

  1. derived from or relating to experiment and observation rather than theory

  2. (of medical treatment) based on practical experience rather than scientific proof

  3. philosophy

    1. (of knowledge) derived from experience rather than by logic from first principles Compare a priori a posteriori

    2. (of a proposition) subject, at least theoretically, to verification Compare analytic synthetic

  4. of or relating to medical quackery

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. statistics the posterior probability of an event derived on the basis of its observed frequency in a sample Compare mathematical probability See also posterior probability

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

empirical

  1. Relying on or derived from observation or experiment.

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Other Word Forms

  • empirically adverb
  • empiricalness noun
  • antiempirical adjective
  • nonempirical adjective
  • overempirical adjective
  • semiempirical adjective
  • unempirical adjective
  • ˈ辱Ա noun
  • ˈ辱 adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of empirical1

First recorded in 1560–70; empiric + -al 1
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

While Fishkin’s book takes account of the major issues in political philosophy and political science that have been debated in recent decades, what’s most compelling about it are his empirical results.

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In each case, debates over empirical facts have been entangled with identity, religion, economics, and power, creating fault lines that persist across countries and generations.

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In “American Mirage,” she cites empirical evidence suggesting a strong correlation between local “Shark Tank” viewership and queries at Small Business Administration centers.

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We have tons of data and all manner of empirical and other forms of evidence that show how race and racism structure American society and people's life outcomes and other opportunities and experiences.

From

Trump doesn’t believe in an empirical reality based on facts and science, but only on what he proclaims to be factual and true.

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empiricempirical formula