empirically

adverb

em·​pir·​i·​cal·​ly im-ˈpir-i-k(ə-)lē 

em-

: in an empirical manner : with a basis in or reliance on information obtained through observation, experiment, or experience

a theory that has not yet been tested empirically

… using Tycho Brahe's most exhaustive astronomical observations in history, Kepler had empirically demonstrated that the planets orbit elliptically.

—Charles Krauthammer

The statistical models were flawed, the defense maintained, noting that none had been empirically tested.

—Simon Cole

Examples of empirically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s harder to find in fashion these days, as the comparable speed of digital culture increases trend turnover and even algorithmic advertising struggles to keep up with what looking empirically cool means. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

But that prediction will need to be tested empirically. — ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026

This controversial topic has yet received little attention theoretically and empirically, but marketers and policy makers are confronted by the need to deal with its causes and consequences. — Ezgi Eyüboğlu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026

In a 2013 study published in Biology Letters, researchers tested this question empirically. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for empirically

• satirically