epistemic

epi·stem·ic
E1P3I1S1T1E1M3I1C3
UK/ˌɛpɪˈstiːmɪk/UK/-ˈstɛ-/US/ˌɛpəˈstimɪk/

adjective

Of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired.

Less commonFirst used early 19th c.Scrabble 15

Meanings

adjectiveepistemic (not comparable)
  1. not comparablehuman sciencesOf or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired.First known use early 19th c.

    Second, note the role of the respondent's epistemic state. It is a factor in determining the correct replies, but only when the propositum is irrelevant.

    2008 July 1, Paul Vincent Spade, “Medieval Theories of Obligationes”, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, archived from the original on 23 Oct 2012
    1 more example

    This chapter describes the contours of the epistemic crisis in media and politics that threatens the integrity of democratic processes, erodes trust in public institutions, and exacerbates social divisions.

    2018, Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris, Hal Roberts, “Epistemic Crisis”, in Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →DOI, →ISBN

    Antonyms: nonepistemic

  2. broadlynot comparablehuman sciencesOf or relating to how cognition or knowledge is expressed in language.
    1 more example

    Professor [Richard] Boyd provides a powerful argument for the conclusion that in the sciences metaphor is often theory-constitutive, by means of an important modification of the causal theory of reference in terms of ‘epistemic access’; Metaphors provide epistemic access to the world via the articulation of new ideas at a stage when literal language cannot cope, enabling us with increasing accuracy to accommodate language to the world.

    1981 April, Martin Warner, “Metaphor and Thought. Edited by Andrew Ortony. London, New York, and Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. 1979. x+501 pp. £20.00 (paperbound £7.50). [book review]”, in C. C. Smith, editor, The Modern Language Review, volume 76, number 2, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Modern Humanities Research Association, →ISSN, →JSTOR, →OCLC, page 428

    Antonyms: deontic

  3. not comparablehuman sciencesOf or relating to epistemology (“the branch of philosophy dealing with the study of knowledge”); epistemologic or epistemological.

    [Robert] Audi considers whether [Roderick Milton] Chisholm might be able to incorporate into his epistemic system an internalist evidential grounding requirement addressing this question.

    2000 July, Timm Triplett, “The Philosophy of Roderick M. Chisholm. Edited by Lewis Edwin Hahn. The Library of Living Philosophers, vol. 25. Chicago and La Salle, Ill.: Open Court Publishing Company, 1997. Pp. xviii, 738. [book review]”, in Richard Boyd et al., editors, The Philosophical Review, volume 109, number 3, Ithaca, N.Y.: Sage School of Philosophy, Cornell University, →ISSN, →JSTOR, →OCLC, page 452

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired.

Opposite

adjectiveOf or relating to how cognition or knowledge is expressed in language.

Opposite

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveof or relating to epistemology

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-“to stand (up)”
  2. Ancient Greekἐπιστήμη“knowledge; science”
  3. Englishepistemic

PIE word *h₁epi From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē, “knowledge; science”) + English -ic (suffix meaning of or pertaining to forming adjectives from nouns) (compare modern Greek επιστημικός (epistimikós, “relating to science, scientific”)). Ἐπιστήμη (Epistḗmē) is derived from ἐπῐ́στᾰμαι (epĭ́stămai, “to have knowledge of, know”) (from ἐπῐ- (epĭ-, prefix meaning ‘all over; on, on top of’) + ῐ̔́στημῐ (hĭ́stēmĭ, “to stand; to weigh”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”))) + -η (-ē, suffix forming action nouns).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish epistemisk, erkendelsesmæssig
  • epistemiskof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
  • erkendelsesmæssigof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Dutch epistemisch
  • epistemischof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Finnish episteeminen, episteeminen
  • episteeminenof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
  • episteeminenof or relating to how cognition or knowledge is expressed in language
French épistémique
  • épistémiqueof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
German epistemisch
  • epistemischof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Icelandic þekkingar-
  • þekkingar-of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Italian epistemico, epistematico
  • epistemicoof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
  • epistematicoof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Japanese 認識的
  • 認識的of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Polish epistemiczny, poznawczy
  • epistemicznyof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
  • poznawczyof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
  • epistemicznyof or relating to how cognition or knowledge is expressed in language
Portuguese epistêmico
  • epistêmicoof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Russian эпистеми́ческий, эпистемологи́ческий
  • эпистеми́ческий (epistemíčeskij)of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
  • эпистемологи́ческий (epistemologíčeskij)of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Spanish epistémico
  • epistémicoof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired
Swedish epistemisk
  • epistemiskof or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with epistemic

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

epistemic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistemic

MLA

“epistemic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistemic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epistemic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistemic.

Source: epistemic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.