Word
epistemology
Phoneticsepis·te·mol·o·gy
US/ɛˌpɪstəˈmɑɫəˌdʒi/
UK/ɪpˌɪstɪmˈɒlədʒi/
Definitions
01the study of knowledge
n. the branch of philosophy that looks at what knowledge is and how we get it.
n. the philosophical study of the nature, scope, and limits of knowledge. Uncountable in this general sense.
“In her philosophy class, she studied epistemology to understand how we decide what is true.”
“The course explores the foundations of Western epistemology, focusing on the tension between rationalism and empiricism in the seventeenth century.”
Academic · Technical
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun when referring to the field of study.
Synonyms
02a specific theory
n. a specific set of ideas or a theory about how people gain knowledge.
n. a particular theory or system of knowledge. Countable in this sense, often referring to a specific school of thought.
“The scientist used a different epistemology to explain his new discovery.”
“The author argues that a feminist epistemology provides a more nuanced understanding of social power than traditional objective frameworks.”
Academic · Technical
Usage
Used as a countable noun when comparing different systems of thought.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē, “science, knowledge”), from ἐπίσταμαι (epístamai, “I know”) + -λογία (-logía, “study or logic of”), from λόγος (lógos, “speech, language”). The term was introduced into English by Scottish philosopher James Frederick Ferrier (1808–1864).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
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englishreference.com/q/epistemology