经验主义（英语：empiricism）又作经验论，通常指相信现代科学方法，认为理论应创建于对于事物的观察，而不是直觉或迷信。意即通过实验研究而后进行理论归纳优于单纯的逻辑推理。经验主义最早的发源地是在欧陆(欧洲大陆)，主要是发源于欧洲大陆的古希腊时代的城邦国家的医学专业知识及专业的医疗技术，经验主义是当时古希腊城邦国家的医生看诊治疗病人的方法。经验主义的代表人物有亚里斯多德、托马斯·阿奎纳、弗兰西斯·培根、托马斯·霍布斯、约翰·洛克、乔治·贝克莱和大卫·休谟。

与经验主义相对的是欧洲理性主义，认为哲学应经由思考和演绎推理而得出结论，代表人物有笛卡尔、斯宾诺莎、莱布尼茨、康德。

Empiricism is a theory that states that knowledge comes only or primarily from sensory experience. One of several views of epistemology, the study of human knowledge, along with rationalism and skepticism, empiricism emphasizes the role of experience and evidence, especially sensory experience, in the formation of ideas, over the notion of innate ideas or traditions; empiricists may argue however that traditions (or customs) arise due to relations of previous sense experiences.