empiricism

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noun em·pir·i·cism \ im-ˈpir-ə-ˌsi-zəm , em- \

Definition of empiricism

1 a :a former school of medical practice founded on experience without the aid of science or theory

b :quackery, charlatanry

2 a :the practice of relying on observation and experiment especially in the natural sciences

b :a tenet arrived at empirically

3 :a theory that all knowledge originates in experience

—

empiricist

play \im-ˈpir-ə-sist, em-\ noun

See empiricism defined for English-language learners

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Recent Examples of empiricism from the Web

The witch rejects empiricism; by embracing witchcraft, the young woman is rehabilitating an old, stigmatized identity and finding within it a source of strength.

— josephine livingstone, New Republic, "Donald Trump and the Witch," 21 July 2017
Meanwhile, over at the EPA, the war against empiricism continues apace.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "This 21st Century Modern Presidency Is a Spectacular Sh*tshow," 3 July 2017
Other researchers counter that Slobodchikoff’s techniques are sound and widely used and that reluctance to embrace his research owes more to prejudice than empiricism.

— ferris jabr, New York Times, "Can Prairie Dogs Talk?," 12 May 2017
Nonetheless, the patterns are becoming more susceptible to empiricism—to a science of surveillance, analysis, and iterative correction.

— atul gawande, The New Yorker, "The Heroism of Incremental Care," 23 Jan. 2017
The election was a victory for gut instinct over empiricism, for cynicism over reason.

— david leonhardt, New York Times, "From Michael Lewis, a Portrait of the Men Who Shaped ‘Moneyball’ DEC. 3, 2016," 6 Dec. 2016
That’s because Facebook operates under a veneer of empiricism.

— farhad manjoo, New York Times, "Facebook’s Bias Is Built-In, and Bears Watching," 11 May 2016
Like the principle of liberty, the principle of empiricism moves us always towards a better, freer, healthier world.

— david dobbs, WIRED, "A Geek Manifesto for America," 2 Jan. 2013

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'empiricism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of empiricism

1658

Other Philosophy Terms

dialectic, dualism, epistemology, existentialism, metaphysics, ontology, sequitur, solipsism, transcendentalism

EMPIRICISM Defined for English Language Learners

empiricism

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noun

Definition of empiricism for English Language Learners

: the practice of basing ideas and theories on testing and experience

Medical Dictionary

empiricism

play

noun em·pir·i·cism \ im-ˈpir-ə-ˌsiz-əm, em- \

medical Definition of empiricism

1 a :a former school of medical practice based on the teachings of the empirics

b :quackery

2 :the practice of relying on observation and experiment especially in the natural sciences

Learn More about empiricism

See words that rhyme with empiricism Britannica English: Translation of empiricism for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about empiricism

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empiricism

Definition of empiricism

empiricist

Recent Examples of empiricism from the Web

First Known Use of empiricism

Other Philosophy Terms

EMPIRICISM Defined for English Language Learners

empiricism

Definition of empiricism for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

empiricism

medical Definition of empiricism

Learn More about empiricism

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