epistemological
adjective
epis·te·mo·log·i·cal
i-ˌpi-stə-mə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 
: of, relating to, or based on epistemology : relating to the study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge
the epistemological problem
Critical realists could learn a little epistemological humility from philosophical pragmatism, the understanding … that, beyond the scale of immediate, non-controversial truth-statements, knowledge is indeed highly partial and fallible …—
James D. Proctor
James D. ProctorAlthough epistemological and power differences between scientists and lay audiences remain, they can be offset through various kinds of collaboration.—Dawn J. Wright et al.
Dawn J. Wright et al.How do we know that our holy books are free from error? Because the books themselves say so. Epistemological black holes of this sort are fast draining the light from our world.—Sam Harris
Sam Harris
epistemologically
adverb
… only a handful of epistemologically privileged comrades and movie stars know the truth, and they are forever muzzled.
—New Republic
New Republic
Examples of epistemological in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These phenomena are in some ways the epistemological counterpoint to UAPs.
—Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023
Like point one of our two-part ABCT, the doctrine is both epistemological (a form of knowledge) and ethical (practical wisdom for everyday human interaction), warranting rational objectivity and moral reciprocity.
—M. D. Aeschliman, National Review, 25 Dec. 2023
Scientific investigations, like detective stories, take place within an epistemological system, a way of knowing.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023
To put it in Paul’s terms, the whole thing is an epistemological get-rich-quick scheme.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
Rosato’s argument verges on a simple truism: there are inherent epistemological limits on what a state can know for sure about another state.
—Sebastian Rosato, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021
In Rio’s and São Paulo’s carnivals, joy is seen in dancers dressed in elaborate, colorful costumes and heard amid the cheers and Brazilian percussion instruments, but it’s felt in the celebration of people whose material and epistemological existence have been continuously under attack.
—Beatriz Miranda, refinery29.com, 19 Apr. 2022
The age of generative AI threatens to sprinkle epistemological sand into the gears of web search by fooling algorithms designed for a time when the web was mostly written by humans.
—WIRED, 5 Oct. 2023
But where Gego’s ostensibly fragile aesthetic is tethered at every point to sturdy underlying principles, Sze’s work fans out into epistemological mayhem.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023
Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023
Like point one of our two-part ABCT, the doctrine is both epistemological (a form of knowledge) and ethical (practical wisdom for everyday human interaction), warranting rational objectivity and moral reciprocity.
—M. D. Aeschliman, National Review, 25 Dec. 2023
Scientific investigations, like detective stories, take place within an epistemological system, a way of knowing.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023
To put it in Paul’s terms, the whole thing is an epistemological get-rich-quick scheme.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
Rosato’s argument verges on a simple truism: there are inherent epistemological limits on what a state can know for sure about another state.
—Sebastian Rosato, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021
In Rio’s and São Paulo’s carnivals, joy is seen in dancers dressed in elaborate, colorful costumes and heard amid the cheers and Brazilian percussion instruments, but it’s felt in the celebration of people whose material and epistemological existence have been continuously under attack.
—Beatriz Miranda, refinery29.com, 19 Apr. 2022
The age of generative AI threatens to sprinkle epistemological sand into the gears of web search by fooling algorithms designed for a time when the web was mostly written by humans.
—WIRED, 5 Oct. 2023
But where Gego’s ostensibly fragile aesthetic is tethered at every point to sturdy underlying principles, Sze’s work fans out into epistemological mayhem.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epistemological.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
First Known Use
1854, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near epistemological
Cite this Entry
“Epistemological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epistemological. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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