Empirischer

Empirischer is a German adjective meaning “empirical”—based on observation, experience, or experimentation rather than theory alone. It is used to describe methods, data, findings, or approaches that derive from empirical evidence, for example in phrases like empirische Forschung (empirical research), empirischer Nachweis (empirical proof), or empirische Validierung.

The term stems from Greek empeiria meaning experience, via Latin experientia and later German usage. The noun Empirie denotes empirical knowledge, and the related Empirismus refers to empiricism. The adjective empirisch is cognate with the English word empirical and the Dutch empirisch.

In science, empirisch describes knowledge and methods grounded in observation and measurement. Empirische Daten are data collected through observation or experiment; empirical research emphasizes validation by replicable observations and statistical analysis. It is often contrasted with theoretical or deductive approaches and with purely conceptual reasoning.

As an attributive adjective, empirischer agrees with masculine singular nouns (for example, ein empirischer Ansatz). For feminine or neuter nouns, the form is empirische, and for plurals it remains empirische. This inflection mirrors standard German adjective declension and allows precise description of evidence-based or observation-based elements in scholarly writing.

In philosophy and everyday usage, empiricism (Empirismus) contrasts with rationalism, highlighting the role of sensory experience in the acquisition of knowledge. In general German usage, empirisch remains a common designation in academic and professional contexts for conclusions, methods, data, and evidence that derive from observation and measurement.