Meaning & use

empirically

adverb·Academic

Based on observation or experiment rather than theory or pure logic.

See it in a sentence

The hypothesis was tested empirically through a series of controlled laboratory trials.

Researchers empirically measured stress levels rather than relying on participants' self-reports alone.

A note on using this word

Empirically is common in scientific and academic writing to contrast findings drawn from data with claims based only on reasoning or assumption.

Words with a similar meaning

experimentallyobservationally

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Words with an opposite meaning

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