1. philosophers who believe that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience rather than from reasoning or intuition
Usage: philosophy

Examples

• British empiricists like John Locke argued that the mind is a blank slate at birth.
• The empiricists rejected the idea that humans are born with innate knowledge.
• David Hume was one of the most influential empiricists of the 18th century.
• Modern empiricists continue to emphasize the importance of observation in scientific inquiry.
• The debate between empiricists and rationalists shaped much of Western philosophy.
• These empiricists believed that all concepts must ultimately derive from experience.