Empirical — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /im-ˈpir-i-kəl/ em·pir·i·cal

Meaning & Definition of Empirical

Empirical (adjective)

  1. originating in or based on observation or experience
  2. relying on experience or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory
  3. capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment

Empirical (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. based on observation or experience

    "guidelines for raising children that are based on empirical evidence"

    similar: existential, experiential, experimental, objective, observational
    related: actual, factual, genuine, hard, material, real, accepted, established, tried, tried-and-true, indisputable, undeniable, demonstrable, provable, verifiable
    opposite: nonempirical, theoretical, unempirical
    near: conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, unproven, unsubstantiated, metaphysical, transcendentalist, visionary

  2. capable of being proven as true or real

    "a philosopher who does not regard God exists as an empirical statement"

    similar: checkable, confirmable, demonstrable, provable, supportable, sustainable, verifiable
    related: certifiable, documentable, well-founded, defensible, excusable, justifiable, vindicable, warrantable, alleged, assumed, conjectured, guessed, presumed, surmised, suspected
    opposite: indemonstrable, insupportable, unprovable, unsupportable, unsustainable, unverifiable
    near: debatable, disprovable, disputable, refutable

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Empirical

The most common words with a similar meaning to Empirical:

existential, experiential, experimental, objective, observational, checkable, confirmable, demonstrable, provable, supportable, sustainable, verifiable

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Empirical

Words with the opposite meaning of Empirical:

nonempirical, theoretical, unempirical, indemonstrable, insupportable, unprovable, unsupportable, unsustainable, unverifiable

Related Words for Empirical

actual, factual, genuine, hard, material, real, accepted, established, tried, tried-and-true, indisputable, undeniable, certifiable, documentable, well-founded, defensible, excusable, justifiable, vindicable, warrantable, alleged, assumed, conjectured, guessed, presumed, surmised, suspected

Near Antonyms of Empirical

conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, unproven, unsubstantiated, metaphysical, transcendentalist, visionary, debatable, disprovable, disputable, refutable

Origin & Etymology of Empirical

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:1 empiric

First known use: 1576

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Empirical

Words & Phrases Containing Empirical

empirical formula

Frequently Asked Questions about Empirical

What does "Empirical" mean?

"Empirical" means originating in or based on observation or experience. As an adjective, it is defined as: originating in or based on observation or experience. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Empirical"?

Other words for "Empirical" include existential, experiential, experimental, objective, observational, checkable, confirmable and demonstrable. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Empirical" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Empirical"?

There are 39 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Empirical". Common alternatives include existential, experiential, experimental, objective, observational, checkable, confirmable, demonstrable, provable and supportable.

What is the opposite of "Empirical"?

Antonyms of "Empirical" include nonempirical, theoretical, unempirical, indemonstrable, insupportable, unprovable, unsupportable and unsustainable. Near antonyms include conjectural, hypothetical, speculative and unproven.

How do you use "Empirical" in a sentence?

Examples of "Empirical" in a sentence: "guidelines for raising children that are based on empirical evidence"; "a philosopher who does not regard God exists as an empirical statement".

Is "Empirical" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Empirical" is an adjective.

Is "Empirical" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Empirical"?

"Empirical" is pronounced /im-ˈpir-i-kəl/ and divided into syllables as em·pir·i·cal.