also  em*pir*ic  adj 1  archaic  a  :  following or used in the practice of the empirics - compare RATIONAL2    b  :  being or befitting a quack or charlatan  2  :  originating in or based on observation or experiment <much medical lore had had an origin … centuries of trial-and-error gropings after remedies -R. H. Shryock>   3  :  capable of being confirmed, verified, or disproved by observation or experiment < statements or laws>  em*pir*i*cal*ly adv 
 
 
 
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