a posteriori

[ey po-steer-ee-awr-ahy, -ohr-ahy, -awr-ee, -ohr-ee] / ˌeɪ pɒˌstɪər iˈɔr aɪ, -ˈoʊr aɪ, -ˈɔr i, -ˈoʊr i /

ADJECTIVE

involving reasoning from facts

Synonyms

WEAK

analytical empirical experimental from the latter inducible inductive logical practical

ADVERB

involving reasoning from facts

Synonyms

WEAK

analytical empirical experimental from the latter inducible inductive logical practical

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Knowledge of our own height is clearly a posteriori because we cannot know this without measuring ourselves.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

If my belief that there’s a bird on the branch outside my window is knowledge, it would be a posteriori knowledge.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

This a posteriori saga gives us a refreshed Raphael, whose psychological acuity feels newly approachable.

From New York Times • Nov. 26, 2020

Although this specific interaction was not quantified in this example, we view this a posteriori justification of a stereochemical outcome as a foundation for future rational design of such interactions in catalytic systems.

From Nature • Mar. 28, 2017

In scholastic terms this was a debate over the reliability of a posteriori reasoning; in our terms it is a debate over the evidence of things, or over Evidence-Indices.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton