Word
empirically
Phoneticsem·pir·i·cal·ly, stress on the second syllable
US/ɛmˈpɪɹɪkəɫi/
UK/ɛmpˈɪɹɪkli/
Definition
adv. based on facts or evidence that you can see, hear, or measure. You use this to describe things that are proven by real-world experience rather than just theory.
adv. based on or relating to experience and observation rather than theory or pure logic. Often used to describe results that have been verified through scientific testing or data collection.
Examples
“The results of the experiment were empirically proven.”
“The theory was eventually accepted because it was empirically supported by decades of research and observation.”
“While the hypothesis was elegant in its simplicity, it failed to hold up empirically when tested against the vast and varied data sets collected by the international research team.”
Examples
simple
“The results of the experiment were empirically proven.”
contextual
“The theory was eventually accepted because it was empirically supported by decades of research and observation.”
complex
“While the hypothesis was elegant in its simplicity, it failed to hold up empirically when tested against the vast and varied data sets collected by the international research team.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “empirically” in context.
Verb
01. empirically derive
“The formula was empirically derived from years of laboratory observations.”
adv + verb
02. empirically support
“There is currently no data to empirically support the researcher's hypothesis.”
adv + verb
Real-World Examples
“The predictions derived from this perspective now need to be tested empirically.” “As far as the researchers know, this is the first study to empirically demonstrate that different ethical framings in environmental education lead to different learning outcomes.” “His constructive empiricism holds that the aim of science is not to find true theories, but only theories that are empirically adequate: that is, theories whose claims about observable phenomena are all true.” “Empirically, we find with the above prompt design, LLMs can reliably sample from uniform discrete distributions and Gaussian distributions, as visualized in Figure 9 .” Etymology
From empirical + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/empirically