empirical
pronunciation
How to pronounce empirical in British English:
UK [ɪmˈpɪrɪkl]
How to pronounce empirical in American English:
US [ɪmˈpɪrɪkl]
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- Adjective:
- derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
- relying on medical quackery
Word Origin
- empirical
- empirical: [16] Despite their formal resemblance, empirical and empire are completely unrelated. Empirical comes ultimately from the Greek adjective émpeiros ‘skilled or experienced in’, a compound formed from the prefix en- ‘in’ and peira ‘attempt, trial’ (a relative of English expert, peril, pirate, and repertory). From this were derived successively the noun empeiría ‘experience’ and empeirikós, which English acquired via Latin empiricus.=> expert, peril, pirate, repertory
- empirical (adj.)
- 1560s, originally in medicine, "pertaining to or derived from experience or experiments," from empiric + -al (1). In a general sense of "guided by mere experience" from 1757. Related: Empirically (1640s as "by means of observation and experiment").
Antonym
Example
- 1. However , this empirical fact conceals a dirty secret .
- 2. Hard information includes numbers , charts and empirical data .
- 3. This is just an empirical fact .
- 4. He concluded that empirical evidence supports the efficacy of these treatments .
- 5. But his empirical evidence still suggests that technology is more significant .