adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:EH2 M P IH1 R IH0 K AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Pertaining to or based on experience, as opposed to theory.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The lengths were calculated according to the empirical rules of the trade.
For some presumptive diagnoses, empirical antibiotic therapy begins immediately, whereas specific antibiotic therapy must await the results of the culture and sensitivity test.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: theoretical
2
adj
Meaning 2
Pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations made using the physical senses or using instruments which extend the senses.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Verifiable by means of scientific experimentation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
Examples
demonstrable with empirical evidence
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: anecdotal, theoretical
4
noun
Meaning 4
A measurement or result achieved by empirical means.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective
Meaning 5
derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an empirical basis for an ethical theory
empirical laws
empirical data
an empirical treatment of a disease about which little is known
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: empiric
Antonyms: theoretical
6
adjective
Meaning 6
relying on medical quackery
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
empiric treatment
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: empiric
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From empiric + -al.
Across languages
Translations
78 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَجْرِيبِيّ
(tajrībiyy)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Belarusian:
эмпіры́чны
(empirýčny)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Bulgarian:
опитен
(opiten)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Bulgarian:
емпиричен
(empiričen)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Catalan:
empíric
— pertaining to or based on experience
Chinese Mandarin:
經驗 /经验
(jīngyàn)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Danish:
empirisk
— pertaining to or based on experience
Dutch:
empirisch
— pertaining to or based on experience
Finnish:
kokemusperäinen
— pertaining to or based on experience
Finnish:
empiirinen
— pertaining to or based on experience
French:
empirique
— pertaining to or based on experience
Galician:
empírico
— pertaining to or based on experience
Georgian:
ემპირიული
(emṗiriuli)
— pertaining to or based on experience
German:
empirisch
— pertaining to or based on experience
German:
erfahrungsgemäß
— pertaining to or based on experience
Greek:
εμπειρικός
(empeirikós)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Hindi:
अनुभवजन्य
(anubhavjanya)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Hindi:
तजरबी
(tajarbī)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Hindi:
तजुर्बी
(tajurbī)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Hindi:
आनुभविक
(ānubhvik)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Hungarian:
tapasztalati
— pertaining to or based on experience
Indonesian:
empiris
— pertaining to or based on experience
Italian:
empirico
— pertaining to or based on experience
Malay:
ايمڤيريکل
(empirikal)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Persian:
تجربی
(tajrobi)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Persian:
آروینی
(ârvini)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Polish:
aposterioryczny
— pertaining to or based on experience
Polish:
empiryczny
— pertaining to or based on experience
Portuguese:
empírico
— pertaining to or based on experience
Romanian:
empiric
— pertaining to or based on experience
Russian:
эмпири́ческий
(empiríčeskij)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Serbo-Croatian:
empìrījskī
— pertaining to or based on experience
Serbo-Croatian:
iskùstven
— pertaining to or based on experience
Spanish:
empírico
— pertaining to or based on experience
Swedish:
empirisk
— pertaining to or based on experience
Tagalog:
masirin
— pertaining to or based on experience
Ukrainian:
емпіри́чний
(empirýčnyj)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Urdu:
تجربی
(tajrabi)
— pertaining to or based on experience
Vietnamese:
kinh nghiệm
— pertaining to or based on experience
Arabic:
تَجْرِيبِيّ
(tajrībiyy)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Belarusian:
эмпіры́чны
(empirýčny)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Bulgarian:
емпиричен
(empiričen)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Dutch:
empirisch
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Finnish:
kokeellinen
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Finnish:
empiirinen
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Georgian:
ემპირიული
(emṗiriuli)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
German:
empirisch
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Greek:
εμπειρικός
(empeirikós)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Hindi:
अनुभवजन्य
(anubhavjanya)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Hindi:
प्रायोगिक
(prāyogik)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Hindi:
तजरबी
(tajarbī)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Hindi:
तजुर्बी
(tajurbī)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Hindi:
आनुभविक
(ānubhvik)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Russian:
эмпири́ческий
(empiríčeskij)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Serbo-Croatian:
empìrījskī
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Serbo-Croatian:
iskùstven
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Spanish:
empírico
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Swedish:
empirisk
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Tagalog:
masirin
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Ukrainian:
емпіри́чний
(empirýčnyj)
— pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations
Bulgarian:
емпиричен
(empiričen)
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Chinese Mandarin:
實證 /实证
(shízhèng)
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Czech:
empirický
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Dutch:
empirisch
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Finnish:
kokeellinen
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Finnish:
empiirinen
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
German:
empirisch
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Hindi:
अनुभवजन्य
(anubhavjanya)
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Hindi:
प्रायोगिक
(prāyogik)
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Hindi:
आनुभविक
(ānubhvik)
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Korean:
실증적인
(siljeungjeogin)
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Russian:
эмпири́ческий
(empiríčeskij)
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Serbo-Croatian:
empìrījskī
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Serbo-Croatian:
iskùstven
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Spanish:
empírico
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Swedish:
empirisk
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Tagalog:
masirin
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
Vietnamese:
thực chứng
— verifiable by means of scientific experimentation
