the philosophical study or theory of the nature, and limits, and grounds of experience, belief, and knowledge
Questions that epistemology concerns itself with include: does all non-trivial knowledge derive from sense-experience? (Empiricism: yes; rationalism: no); can appeal to observation and experience give us any reason for beliefs about other things (the past, the future, the unobservable)? What is the difference between a justified and an unjustified belief? Is knowing like believing, only better? — Professor Jonathan Dancy
epistemological /-ʹlojikl/ adj
epistemologically /-ʹlojikli/ adv
epistemologist noun
[Greek epistēmē knowledge, from epistanai to understand, know, from epi- + histanai to stand]