Standard Lemma guide

empirically

adv · 3 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 M P IH1 R IH0 K AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: EH0 M P IH1 R IH0 K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I have no idea why this works, but empirically, it works.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nonempirically, unempirically

2

adv

Meaning 2

Based on data and evidence gathered in the real world.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: sciences

Examples

  • We need to test this idea empirically instead of just speculating about it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nonempirically, unempirically

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in an empirical manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • this can be empirically tested

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: through empirical observation, by trial and error

Antonyms: theoretically

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English empiric English -al English empirical Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English empirically From empirical + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: empíricament — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Galician: empiricamente — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Greek: εμπειρικά (empeiriká) — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Ancient Greek: ἐμπειρῐκῶς (empeirĭkôs) — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Italian: empiricamente — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Korean: 경험적으로 (gyeongheomjeogeuro) — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Polish: aposteriorycznie — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Polish: empirycznie — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Portuguese: empiricamente — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Spanish: empíricamente — based on experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge
  • Korean: 실험적으로 (silheomjeogeuro) — based on data gathered in the real world