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Empirical vs Anecdote - What's the difference?

empirical | anecdote |

As an adjective empirical

is pertaining to or based on experience.

As a noun anecdote is

a short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.

empirical

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Pertaining to or based on experience.
  • * H. Spencer
  • The village carpenter lays out his work by empirical rules learnt in his apprenticeship.
  • Pertaining to, derived from, or testable by observations made using the physical senses or using instruments which extend the senses.
  • (philosophy of science) Verifiable by means of scientific experimentation.
  • Synonyms

    * empiric

    Antonyms

    * nonempirical

    Coordinate terms

    * conceptual * theoretical * anecdotal

    Derived terms

    * empirically

    See also

    * anecdotal evidence * trial and error

    anecdote

    Alternative forms

    * anecdota * anecdoton (Grecian) * anecdotum

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.
  • An account which supports an argument, but which is not supported by scientific or statistical analysis.
  • A previously untold secret account of an incident.
  • Derived terms

    * anecdotage * anecdotal * anecdotalism * anecdotally * anecdotard * anecdotarian * anecdoter * anecdotic * anecdotical * anecdotish (rare) * anecdotist * anecdotive (rare) * anecdotographer