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 In general, Smith Galer’s empirical examples tend toward the optimistic. — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 But extrapolating from limited empirical studies paints a grim picture. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 July 2026 When the director of a passion play offered to nail Bautista to a cross in the name of empirical authenticity, the anthropologist declined. — H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026 While there have been many lawsuits and much news reporting, there has been little empirical research testing whether a concentration in treatment centers are tied to a significant increase in overdoses in the area, the report said. — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for empirical

Recent Examples of Synonyms for empirical

Adjective

The film’s observational intensity yields a form of symbolic realism that highlights both the action and its import—both the drama and the ideas and systems that undergird it.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Stephen Maing has upheld a standard of excellence in observational filmmaking through his works.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of observational

Adjective

What tends to go viral on social media, Wagner said, are things that are highly emotional or often not verifiable or true.

— Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Specifications, materials, provenance, policies and reviews need to be structured and verifiable, not buried in marketing copy.

— Haozhuang Dai, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of verifiable

Adjective

Drift and Fiscal Waste When governance lacks objective metrics and community centering, the real-world consequences are severe.

— Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
This is where fantasy sports becomes more art than science, so let’s focus on the objective goals of weekly lineup construction first.

— Sports Betting, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of objective

Adjective

Professors have encountered demonstrable issues with widespread cheating, with many forced to devise their own methods for eliminating unethical AI use.

— Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 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

Crucially, the experiment revealed that while design software is free, the significant expense and bottleneck now lie in the physical synthesis and experimental validation of proteins, underscoring the scarcity of wet-lab capacity.

— Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
The tome is a more experimental offering than traditional fiction, and relies heavily on the conflicting narration from commenters and Agnes’ internal dialogue.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 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

But this is not the first time the United States has tackled an emerging and potentially existential security threat.

— Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
To be sure, those of us wearing keffiyehs in Europe and North America are not facing the same existential, genocidal violence the people of Gaza have been facing for the last 77 years.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of existential

Adjective

The output has to be supportable, reviewable and grounded in information that can actually survive scrutiny later.

— Arun Ramakrishnan, Forbes.com, 1 June 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

Browse Nearby Words

empiric

empirical

empiricist

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Style

“Empirical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empirical. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of empirical

adjective

Example Sentences

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