Word: empirical (adjective)

Associations

"Empirical" relates to knowledge or information gained through experience, observation, or experiments, rather than theory or pure logic.

• In science, empirical evidence means data collected from experiments or observations.
• You might hear "empirical research," which means research based on real-world data, not just ideas.
• In everyday life, if you say "empirical proof," you mean proof you can see or test yourself.

Synonym: "experimental" is similar but focuses more on testing through experiments, while "empirical" covers all observation and experience, including experiments.

Substitution

Instead of "empirical," you could say:

• "observational" – if you focus on watching and noting facts.
• "practical" – if you mean based on real experience.
• "evidence-based" – especially in medicine or science, meaning supported by real data.

Each substitution changes the meaning slightly:

• "Observational" is about watching.
• "Practical" is about usefulness in real life.
• "Evidence-based" stresses proof from data.

Deconstruction

The word "empirical" comes from the Greek "empeiria," meaning "experience."

• "Empir-" root means "experience."
• "-ical" is a suffix that turns nouns into adjectives, meaning "related to."

So, "empirical" literally means "related to experience."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you learned something by watching or doing rather than reading about it?
• How is empirical knowledge different from knowledge you get from books or theories?
• Why do you think empirical evidence is important in science?