# epistemology

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɪˌpɪstəˈmɒləd͡ʒi/ · frequency rank #33,222

## Definitions
1. The branch of philosophy dealing with the study of knowledge; the theory of knowledge, asking such questions as "What is knowledge?", "How is knowledge acquired?", "What do people know?", "How do we know what we know?", "How do we know it is true?", and so on.
2. A particular instance, version, or school thereof; a particular theory of knowledge.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistḗmē, “science, knowledge”), from ἐπίσταμαι (epístamai, “I know”) + -λογία (-logía, “study or logic of”), from λόγος (lógos, “speech, language”). The term was introduced into English by Scottish philosopher James Frederick Ferrier (1808–1864).

## Common misspellings (18)
`eipstemology`, `episetmology`, `episstemology`, `epistemloogy`, `epistemmology`, `epistemolgoy`, `epistemollogy`, `epistemologgy`, `epistemologyy`, `epistemoloyg`, `epistemoolgy`, `episteomlogy`, `epistmeology`, `episttemology`, `epitsemology`, `eppistemology`, `epsitemology`, `peistemology`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/epistemology