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epistemic

adjective
USep-uh-STEE-mik/ˌɛpəˈstimɪk/UKep-i-STEE-mik/ˌɛpɪˈstiːmɪk/

2 meanings of epistemic

Practice

  1. 1
    knowledgeadjective
    Having to do with knowledge and how we come to know things.

    In class we talked about epistemic questions, like how we can be sure of anything.

    Her doubt was epistemic: she wasn't sure the news report was true.

    UsageClose to epistemological. People also speak of an epistemic crisis, when shared ways of finding and trusting facts break down.

    Similarepistemological

    Oppositenonepistemic

    Note
  2. 2
    grammaradjective
    Having to do with how words show what a speaker knows or thinks.

    Our teacher explained the epistemic use of must in "He must be tired."

    Words like maybe and probably are epistemic, showing how sure the speaker is.

    Oppositedeontic

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From the Ancient Greek word epistēmē, meaning "knowledge", plus the English ending -ic.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

  • Epistemic is formed from Ancient Greek epistēmē, meaning "knowledge", plus the English ending -ic. en.wiktionary.org