empirical

adjective

em·​pir·​i·​cal im-ˈpir-i-kəl How to pronounce empirical (audio)
em-
variants or less commonly empiric
1
: originating in or based on observation or experience
empirical data
2
: relying on experience or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory
an empirical basis for the theory
3
: capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment
empirical laws
4
: of or relating to empiricism

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Empirical Has Roots in Latin and Greek

When empirical first appeared as an adjective in English, it meant simply “in the manner of an empiric.” In the ancient world, empirics were members of a sect of doctors who practiced medicine using treatments observed to be clinically effective, rather than treatments based on theoretical principles. This sounds all fine and good to a modern reader, but empirics were in direct opposition to Galen, the 2nd century Greek physician whose theories and practices (including the theory of bodily humors) dominated medicine in Europe from the Middle Ages until the mid-17th century. As the underdogs in this rivalry, empirics took some reputational hits, evidenced by the use of empiric to refer to someone who disregards or deviates from the rules of science or accepted practice; to be called an empiric was sometimes like being called a quack or charlatan. Empirical can still be used critically to describe ideas and practices that rely on experience or observation alone and without due regard for system or theory. But, perhaps in a bit of a case of “the Empirics strike back,” empirical more often keeps its narrower sense, and is used positively to describe evidence and information grounded in observation and experience, or capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment.

Examples of empirical in a Sentence

Eventually, access to electron microscopes and X-ray diffraction technology provided the necessary empirical evidence to test the hypotheses, and the jigsaw pieces began to fall into place. Gail Nichols, Ceramics Monthly, February 2002
No religion, new or old, is subject to empirical proof, so what we have is a contest between faiths. Harvey Cox, Atlantic, March 1999
They collected plenty of empirical data from their experiments. guidelines for raising children that are based on empirical evidence
Recent Examples on the Web Data may back them up Jan. 16, 2024 Opponents to San Francisco’s task force are quick to point out the lack of empirical data showing that prosecuting street dealers for homicide and sending them to prison for longer terms is proving an effective deterrent. Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Friedman was more than a theoretical and empirical economist, however. Jennifer Burns, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 And so, there was a time when geometry was empirical. Quanta Magazine, 1 Feb. 2024 All this adjusting gives us a reasonable estimate of the empirical quality of a pollster today. G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 25 Jan. 2024 Savage was a hands-on, empirical researcher, more interested in real-world experiments with real-world results than abstractions. Andy Greenberg, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024 During his graduate studies Alex did substantial critical analyses of internet privacy issues, including proposing empirical evaluations of the effectiveness of clickwrap agreements and evaluating the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, a precursor to recent privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Cindy Gordon, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Though empirical evidence shows that EVs, by and large, are much less likely than vehicles with internal combustion engines to catch fire, that hasn’t stopped some municipal governments from placing strict limits on the places where EV batteries can be plugged in. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024 The education department and state board have spent months considering a new standard and the results of an empirical research study. Lilly Price, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'empirical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

empiric "of physicians in ancient Greece and Rome holding that treatment should be based on observation rather than theory" (going back to Middle English emperic, borrowed from early Medieval Latin empīricus, borrowed from Greek empeirikós, "based on observation (of medical treatment), experienced") + -al entry 1 — more at empiric

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of empirical was in 1576

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Dictionary Entries Near empirical

Cite this Entry

“Empirical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empirical. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

empirical

adjective
em·​pir·​i·​cal im-ˈpir-i-kəl How to pronounce empirical (audio)
em-
variants also empiric
1
: relying on experience or observation usually without regard for a system and theory
empirical medicine
2
: based on observation or experience
empirical data
3
: capable of being proved or disproved by observation or experiment
empirical laws
empirically adverb

Medical Definition

empirical

adjective
em·​pir·​i·​cal -i-kəl How to pronounce empirical (audio)
variants also empiric
1
archaic
a
: following or used in the practice of the empirics compare rational sense 2
b
: being or befitting a quack or charlatan
2
: originating in or based on observation or experiment
much medical lore had had an empirical origin … centuries of trial-and-error gropings after remediesR. H. Shryock
3
: capable of being confirmed, verified, or disproved by observation or experiment
empirical statements or laws
empirically adverb

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