empiric

English

Alternative forms

• empirick (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French empirique, from Latin empiricus, from Ancient Greek ἐμπειρικός (empeirikós, “experienced”), from ἐμπειρία (empeiría, “experience, mere experience or practice without knowledge, especially in medicine, empiricism”), from ἔμπειρος (émpeiros, “experienced or practised in”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + πεῖρα (peîra, “a trial, experiment, attempt”). Not related to empire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛmˈpɪɹɪk/, /ɪmˈpɪɹɪk/
• Hyphenation: em‧pi‧ric

Adjective

empiric

1. Empirical.

Translations

empiric — see empirical

Noun

empiric (plural empirics)

1. (historical) A member of a sect of ancient physicians who based their theories solely on experience.
2. Someone who is guided by empiricism; an empiricist.
3. Any unqualified or dishonest practitioner; a charlatan; a quack.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
     , New York Review, Books, 2001, p.257:

     An empiric oftentimes, and a silly chirurgeon, doth more strange cures than a rational physician.

   • 1661, Robert Boyle, The Sceptical Chymist, page 24:

     […] Paracelsus and some few other sooty Empiricks, rather then (as they are fain to call themselves) Philosophers, having their eyes darken'd, and their Brains troubl'd with the smoke of their own Furnaces, began to rail at the Peripatetick Doctrine, which they were too illiterate to understand […]

   • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “XIX. Of Wrong Assent, or Error”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book IV, § 4, page 354:

     […] and must therefore swallow down Opinions, as silly People do Empiricks['] Pills, without knowing what they are made of […]

   • 1913 January, Moreton Frewen, “The Great Drain of Gold to India”, in The Nineteenth Century and After: A Monthly Review Founded by James Knowles, volume LXXIII, number CCCCXXXI, New York, N.Y.: Leonard Scott Publication Co.; London: Spottiswoode & Co. Ltd., printers, →OCLC, page 59:

     The fact is, that since a good, sound, honest, efficient, automatic, nonmetallic currency and standard was tampered with in 1893, India has been a happy hunting-ground for any empiric who conjured with a new scheme of currency, no matter how fantastic.

   • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 33:

     To the disgust of doctors, the royal family at Versailles allowed one Brun, a wandering empiric […], to administer a proprietary ‘sovereign remedy’ to the ailing monarch.

Translations

ancient physician who based his theories solely on experience

• Latin: empīricus m
• Polish: empiryk (pl) m

one guided by empiricism — see empiricist

unqualified or dishonest practitioner — see charlatan

Further reading

• “empiric”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “empiric”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “empiric”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “empiric”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French empirique and Latin empīricus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /emˈpi.rik/

Adjective

empiric m or n (feminine singular empirică, masculine plural empirici, feminine and neuter plural empirice)

1. empirical

Declension

Declension of empiric

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	empiric		empirică	empirici	empirice
	definite	empiricul		empirica	empiricii	empiricele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	empiric		empirice	empirici	empirice
	definite	empiricului		empiricei	empiricelor	empiricilor

Related terms

• empirism
• empirist