antiempiricist
|an-ti-em-pir-i-cist|
/ˌæn.ti.ɛmˈpɪr.ɪ.sɪst/
against reliance on experience
Etymology
'antiempiricist' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'anti-' meaning 'against' and 'empiricist' (one who follows 'empiricism').
'empiricist' derives from 'empiricism', which traces back to Greek 'empeiria' meaning 'experience', passed into Latin (e.g. 'empiricus') and Old/Middle French before becoming English 'empiricism' and 'empiricist'; the prefix 'anti-' was later attached to form 'antiempiricist'.
Initially related to opposition to 'empiricism' (knowledge from experience), and over time it has retained the core sense of 'one opposed to reliance on empirical evidence.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is opposed to empiricism or to relying primarily on sensory experience and observation as the basis for knowledge; one who favors non-empirical (e.g., a priori or theoretical) methods.
As an antiempiricist, she argued that some truths are accessible through reason alone rather than observation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/31 12:24