Empiirisesti

Empiirisesti is an adverb in Finnish that means “in an empirical manner” or “empirically,” describing conclusions or methods based on observation, experience, or experiment rather than theory alone.

The term derives from the adjective empiirinen (empirical), which itself comes from the noun empiiri meaning experience. In Finnish, the adverb is formed with the suffix -sti, as is common for many descriptive adjectives to create adverbs.

Usage is primarily found in academic and scientific contexts, where statements are rooted in empirical data, experiments, or observational studies. It contrasts with teoreettisesti (theoretically) and with apriori reasoning. In everyday language, empiirisesti can emphasize that a claim rests on observed evidence rather than speculation or tradition.

Common collocations include empiirisesti todistettu (empirically proven) and empiirisesti tutkittu (empirically studied). The term is often used to distinguish evidence-based conclusions from purely theoretical arguments and to signal the relevance and reliability of data derived from real-world observation.

See also: empiricism; empirical method; empiiri (Finnish noun for experience or empirical knowledge).