empiric
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Related to empiric: Empiric treatment, Empiric therapy
em·pir·ic
(em-pir'ik),1. A member of a school of Graeco-Roman physicians (late BCE to early CE) who placed their confidence in and based their practice purely on experience, avoiding all speculation, theory, or abstract reasoning; they were little concerned with causes or with correlating symptoms to gain a true understanding of a disease, even holding basic knowledge, physiology, pathology, and anatomy in low esteem and of no value in practice.
2. Modern: testing a hypothesis by careful observation, hence rationally based on experience.
3. Founded on practical experience, rather than on reasoning alone, but not established scientifically in contrast to rational1.
4. Relating to an empiric1.
[see empirical]
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
em·pir·ic
(em-pir'ik)1. Founded on practical experience, rather than on reasoning alone, but not proved scientifically, in contrast to rational (1)
2. Based on careful observational testing of a hypothesis; rational.
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
em·pir·ic
(em-pir'ik)Founded on practical experience, rather than on reasoning alone, but not established scientifically, in contrast to rational.
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012