empiric

[ em-pir-ik ]

noun

1. a person who follows an empirical method.
2. a quack; charlatan.

adjective

1. empirical.

empiric

/ ɛmˈpɪrɪk /

noun

1. a person who relies on empirical methods
2. a medical quack; charlatan

adjective

1. a variant of empirical

Other Words From

• anti·em·piric noun adjective
• nonem·piric noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of empiric¹

1520–30; < Latin empīricus < Greek empeirikós experienced, equivalent to em- em- ² + peir- (stem of peirân to attempt) + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of empiric¹

C16: from Latin empīricus, from Greek empeirikos practised, from peiran to attempt

Example Sentences

Anyway, I didn’t want to take any kind of sides in any dispute because I think it’s an empiric decision.

From New York Times

The therapy was ad hoc and empiric — guided more by desperation than by the recognition of an innate pathological process — but the hallucinations remitted and diminished.

From New York Times

“Our ultimate goal is to have clinicians utilize a test-and-treat algorithm so that you don’t have to use these empiric therapies,” Denver said.

From Scientific American

Cinema is an emotional medium and the issue of police brutality at bottom an empiric problem — can an approach that embraces the former address the latter?

From Los Angeles Times

"And empiric research suggests higher copays lead to treatment delays or discontinuation," he added.

From US News

Related Words

• con artist
• hypocrite