The meaning of EMPIRICAL is originating in or based on observation or experience. How to use empirical in a sentence. Empirical Has Roots in Latin and Greek. If knowledge is empirical, it's based on observation rather than theory. To do an empirical study of donut shops, you'll need to visit every one you can find. Empirical means relying on or derived from observation or experiment rather than theory. Learn the synonyms, antonyms, translations and usage of empirical in different contexts, such as philosophy, medicine and statistics. We explain what something empirical is and what empiricism is. Furthermore, what are the characteristics and types of empirical knowledge.