Empirical
/ɛmˈpɪr.ɪ.kəl/noun
Based on observation, experience, or experiment rather than theory or pure logic.
Did you know?Empirical comes from a Greek word for “experienced” or “tried,” and in medieval medicine an “empiric” was a healer who relied on practical know-how instead of learned theory.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
empeirikos
“skilled by experience, learned from trial”
Late Greek
Greek
empeiria
“experience, practical knowledge”
Latin
Latin
empiricus
“one who relies on experience; also a medical empiric”
Late Middle English
English
empiric
“a practitioner or healer who used experience rather than scholarly theory”
17th Century
English
empirical
“based on observation or experiment”
Modern English
English
empirical
“based on observed facts or direct experience”
Explore more surprising origins