EMPIRICAL Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

empirical

adjective

im-ˈpir-i-kəl

variants also empiric

Definition of empirical

as in observational

based on observation or experience guidelines for raising children that are based on empirical evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in verifiable

capable of being proven as true or real a philosopher who does not regard "God exists" as an empirical statement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of empirical Others, like Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, think the empirical methods this would require are extremely unlikely to work, and place the chance that superintelligence kills us all very high. — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026 In turn, maneuvers are the living afterimages of protocol, supplying empirical evidence of how operations played out. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 This study provides a first systematic empirical look at the psychological infrastructure that makes such violence conceivable. — Lisa Hagen, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 Per the authors, this is the first empirical evidence for motion dazzle effects produced by butterfly wings. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for empirical

Recent Examples of Synonyms for empirical

Adjective

The retrospective observational study was carried out in North Carolina, when Rosman was at the University of North Carolina.

— Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
Long-term, the picture is not so clear-cut because people who choose diet soda often differ from those who drink regular soda in many ways, which makes observational research tricky to interpret.

— Brittany Poulson, Verywell Health, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of observational

Adjective

Verifiable Software Provenance One critical trust signal is verifiable software provenance.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026
The research represents an early step towards making model identity and response integrity independently verifiable, potentially giving users greater confidence in the systems powering their applications.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of verifiable

Adjective

The credentialing process itself is objective and requires a security clearance and some other criteria be met that are objective, that have nothing to do with the content or viewpoint of reporting.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
Unifying early creative and planning phases with advanced analytics ensures downstream execution is driven by objective market signals rather than isolated guessing.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of objective

Adjective

For boards and CXOs, fault tolerance, error correction, economics and demonstrable advantage still matter.

— Rajjie Sarmey, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
America has witnessed a proliferation of voting rights groups with sound justification and demonstrable results, but there comes a point when there may be too much of a good thing.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026

Definition of demonstrable

Adjective

Such growth goes to show that UGVs have matured from what was largely an experimental technology to a bulwark of Ukraine’s national defense.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
An experimental drug that held great promise in driving down a dangerous form of cholesterol didn’t show any measurable impact on heart attack or stroke in a clinical trial.

— Erika Edwards, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of experimental

Adjective

Binding it all together is the chain-of-custody record that includes every handoff between teams, vendors and systems, with verification signatures that make each component's provenance independently confirmable.

— Akash Pugalia, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Cekada is only the third person to be confirmed to lead the agency since the director's position was made confirmable in 2006.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 May 2026

Definition of confirmable

Adjective

The stakes are existential for the mountain range’s mountain lions, which are contending with critically low genetic diversity as close relatives mate.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
As such, most progressives would prioritize cooperation with other powers, especially Beijing, on existential challenges over competition.

— THOMAS WRIGHT, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of existential

Adjective

Publish a useful, supportable answer, then listen for whether the next conversations change.

— Dennis Kirwan, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Claims about artificial intelligence must be technically accurate, operationally supportable, and consistent with the company’s financial results.

— Perrie M. Weiner, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026

Definition of supportable

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empiric

empirical

empiricist

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“Empirical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empirical. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of empirical

adjective

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