empirical

empirical
    adj 1: derived from experiment and observation rather than
           theory; "an empirical basis for an ethical theory";
           "empirical laws"; "empirical data"; "an empirical
           treatment of a disease about which little is known" [syn:
           {empirical}, {empiric}] [ant: {theoretic}, {theoretical}]
    2: relying on medical quackery; "empiric treatment" [syn:
       {empiric}, {empirical}]
    

Empiric \Em*pir"ic\, Empirical \Em*pir"ic*al\, a.
   1. Pertaining to, or founded upon, experiment or experience;
      depending upon the observation of phenomena; versed in
      experiments.
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            In philosophical language, the term empirical means
            simply what belongs to or is the product of
            experience or observation.            --Sir W.
                                                  Hamilton.
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            The village carpenter . . . lays out his work by
            empirical rules learnt in his apprenticeship. --H.
                                                  Spencer.
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   2. Depending upon experience or observation alone, without
      due regard to science and theory; -- said especially of
      medical practice, remedies, etc.; wanting in science and
      deep insight; as, empiric skill, remedies.
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   {Empirical formula}. (Chem.) See under {Formula}.

   Syn: See {Transcendental}.
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65 Moby Thesaurus words for "empirical":
      Cyrenaic, Eleatic, Epicurean, Megarian, Stoic, animist, animistic,
      atomistic, cosmotheistic, cut-and-try, eclectic, eudaemonistic,
      existential, experiential, experimental, factual, hedonic,
      hedonist, hedonistic, heuristic, hit-or-miss, humanist, humanistic,
      idealistic, instrumentalist, materialistic, mechanistic,
      metaphysical, monistic, naturalistic, nominalist, observed,
      panlogistical, pantheistic, pilot, positivist, positivistic,
      practical, pragmatic, pragmatist, probationary, probative,
      probatory, proving, provisional, rationalistic, realist, realistic,
      scholastic, sensationalistic, syncretistic, tentative, test,
      testing, theistic, transcendentalist, transcendentalistic, trial,
      trial-and-error, trying, utilitarian, verificatory, vitalistic,
      voluntarist, voluntaristic