Meaning & use
empiricism
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Meaning
noununcountable
The philosophical view that all knowledge comes from sensory experience and observation, not from reason alone.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun; it does not take a plural form.
Patterns
- British empiricism
- the empiricism of someone
- a form of empiricism
Empiricism holds that we can only know what we can observe or measure.
The scientist's approach was grounded in empiricism rather than pure theory.
In philosophy class, we compared empiricism with rationalism.
Common combinations
- British empiricism
- British empiricism is associated with philosophers like Locke and Hume.
- radical empiricism
- William James proposed a radical empiricism that included relations as part of experience.
- logical empiricism
- Logical empiricism sought to combine empirical science with logical analysis.
- the rise of empiricism
- The rise of empiricism in the 17th century changed how scientists studied nature.
Synonyms and how they differ
- positivism
- Positivism is a stricter form that rejects metaphysical speculation, while empiricism is broader and focuses on experience as the source of knowledge.
- experientialism
- Experientialism is a less common term that emphasizes experience, but empiricism is the standard term in philosophy.
Opposites
Word family
- empiricist noun
- A person who advocates empiricism.
- empirical adjective
- Based on observation or experiment.
- empirically adverb
- In a way that relies on observation or experience.
Commonly confused: empiricism or empiric?
empiricism vs empiric
Empiric is an adjective meaning based on observation, but it is rare; empiricism is the noun for the philosophical theory.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'empiricism' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Empiricism is the view that knowledge comes from sensory experience. Option A describes rationalism, not empiricism. Option C is unrelated, and option D is incorrect because empiricism contrasts with rationalism.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “empiricism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.