- experimental method; search for knowledge by observation and experiment
- a disregarding of scientific methods and relying solely on experience
- Archaic quackery
- Philos. the theory that sense experience is the only source of knowledge
empiricism


Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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empiricism

noun
- The view that experience, especially of the senses, is the only source of knowledge.
- a. Employment of empirical methods, as in science.b. An empirical conclusion.
- The practice of medicine that disregards scientific theory and relies solely on practical experience.
Related Forms:
- em·pir′i·cist
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"Empiricism." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Empiricism.
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Noun
(plural empiricisms)
- A pursuit of knowledge purely through experience, especially by means of observation and sometimes by experimentation.
- (philosophy) A doctrine which holds that the only or, at least, the most reliable source of human knowledge is experience, especially perception by means of the physical senses. (Often contrasted with rationalism.)
- (medicine, dated) A practice of medicine founded on mere experience, without the aid of science or a knowledge of principles; ignorant and unscientific practice; the method or practice of an empiric.
Origin
from Ancient Greek ἐμπειρία (empeiria, “experience”)
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"Empiricism." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Empiricism.
APA Style
Empiricism. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Empiricism
empiricism - Medical Definition
n.
- The view that experience, especially of the senses, is the only source of knowledge.
- Employment of empirical methods, as in science.
- An empirical conclusion.
- The practice of medicine that disregards scientific theory and relies solely on practical experience.
Related Forms:
- em·pir′i·cist
n.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Medicine © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"Empiricism." YourDictionary. LoveToKnow. www.yourdictionary.com/Empiricism.
APA Style
Empiricism. (n.d.). In YourDictionary. Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Empiricism