Agency Dictionary

Epistemological

adjectivePronunciation: /ɪˌpɪs.tə.məˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl/

Philosophy & Ethics

What does “Epistemological” mean?

Relating to epistemology, the theory of knowledge, its methods, validity, and scope.

Etymology

From epistemology and the suffix -ical. Epistemology was introduced into English in the 1850s by the Scottish philosopher James Frederick Ferrier, who formed it from Greek episteme, "knowledge, understanding", and -logy, "study of", from logos ("word, reasoned account"). Episteme comes from the verb epistasthai, "to know how, to understand". In Greek philosophy episteme, well-founded knowledge, was set against doxa, mere opinion.

Usage note

In English, epistemology is the theory of knowledge in general. Epistemological refers to that theory; epistemic refers to knowledge itself.

Synonyms

epistemic
gnoseological

Often confused with

ontological: Ontological concerns what exists; epistemological concerns what can be known and how.

Word family

epistemology
epistemologist
epistemologically
epistemic
episteme

Concepts

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Research.1 - PermeabilityAugust 29, 2026Read the edition

Words of the same theme

Antithesisnoun: A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
Discursiveadjective: Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
Treatisenoun: A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
Maximnoun: A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
rhetoricnoun: The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
Tangibleadjective: Perceptible by the sense of touch or capable of being physically grasped and measured in concrete physical reality. It distinguishes concrete material products from virtual or intellectual entities.
Holisticadjective: Characterized by the comprehension of parts as intimately interconnected and explicable only in reference to the whole.
Abyssnoun: A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, either in physical geography or metaphorical psychological depth. It evokes feelings of unfathomable emptiness or existential peril.
aestheticsnoun: A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, artistic taste, and style.
Agapenoun: A selfless, unconditional, and altruistic form of love often associated in theology with divine charity.
Ambiguitynoun: The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness or uncertainty of meaning.

Also from these editions: terms

Affectnoun: An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
Biomenoun: A large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat defined by climate and soil.
Cognitionnoun: The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Inferentialadjective: Characterized by or derived from deduction, reasoning from premises, or drawing conclusions from evidence.
Ontologynoun: The branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being, reality, and what kinds of entities can be said to exist.
Permeabilitynoun: The state or quality of being permeable, allowing liquids, gases, or symbolic influences to pass through.
Phenomenologynoun: The philosophical approach that concentrates on the study of conscious experience and appearances as experienced from the first-person point of view.
Reciprocitynoun: The practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit; mutual dependence or action and reaction between entities.
Reductionismnoun: The practice of analyzing and describing a complex phenomenon in terms of its simple or fundamental constituents.
Somaticadjective: Relating to the physical body, especially as distinct from the mind, psyche, or purely intellectual faculties.
Venomousadjective: Capable of injecting venom through a bite or sting; highly toxic or characterized by malice.