Models in science are sometimes called "phenomenological" and sometimes "empirical." Looking at the definitions of these two words, I feel like they are really saying the same thing: that the model is informed by experimental results rather than derived from first principles. Is this correct, or is there a distinction I am missing here?
Learn English – Difference between “phenomenological” and “empirical”
sciencesynonyms
Best Answer
Empirical models need not have any theory. A phenomenological model would have some theory in which the relevant phenomena are presupposed, but no theory that explains where these phenomena come from.