epistemological

adjective

epis·​te·​mo·​log·​i·​cal i-ˌpi-stə-mə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce epistemological (audio)
: of, relating to, or based on epistemology : relating to the study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge
the epistemological problem
Critical realists could learn a little epistemological humility from philosophical pragmatism, the understanding … that, beyond the scale of immediate, non-controversial truth-statements, knowledge is indeed highly partial and fallible …James D. Proctor
Although epistemological and power differences between scientists and lay audiences remain, they can be offset through various kinds of collaboration.Dawn J. Wright et al.
How do we know that our holy books are free from error? Because the books themselves say so. Epistemological black holes of this sort are fast draining the light from our world.Sam Harris
epistemologically adverb
… only a handful of epistemologically privileged comrades and movie stars know the truth, and they are forever muzzled. New Republic

Examples of epistemological in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Like many of Wikipedia’s s principles and procedures, the neutral point of view is the subject of a practical but sophisticated epistemological essay posted on Wikipedia. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2025 This condition is what philosopher Charles Mills, speaking of the American context, labeled epistemological ignorance—a deliberate unknowing, an insistence on the myth of white superiority, of white exceptionalism. Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025 India’s current public health crisis is compounded by an epistemological one: the government’s data cannot be trusted. Mandakini Gahlot, Foreign Affairs, 28 Apr. 2021 These phenomena are in some ways the epistemological counterpoint to UAPs. Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023 See All Example Sentences for epistemological

Word History

Etymology

epistemology + -ical

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of epistemological was in 1854

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Cite this Entry

“Epistemological.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epistemological. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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