adjective · academic
empirical
/ɛmˈpɪrɪkəl/em·PIR·i·cal
based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic
Examples
“The paper provides empirical evidence supporting the new theory.”
“Empirical studies often use surveys or experiments.”
“Use 'empirical' in Task 2 when contrasting theory with data.”
Band 8 sentence
“Empirical research comparing long-term outcomes across cohorts provides stronger grounds for policy recommendations than theoretical models alone.”
Collocations
- empirical evidence
- empirical study
- empirical data
Word family
Common mistakes
use 'empirical' to mean 'practical' in all cases: "an empirical solution"→use 'practical' or 'pragmatic' when you mean 'thực tế, khả thi'; reserve 'empirical' for data-based statements
omit article with plural collocation: "empirical evidences show"→"empirical evidence shows" or 'the empirical evidence shows'
Say it for a higher band
5observational→6experimental→7+empirical
Synonyms
observational
experimental
Easily confused
practical
“We need a practical plan that students can follow.”
experimental
“The experimental group received the new drug.”
Related words
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In Sublist 10
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