anecdotally

American  

[an-ik-doht-l-ee] / ˌæn ɪkˈdoʊt l i /

adverb

1. through, by means of, or with the inclusion of anecdotes.

   In this book about Old East Yorkshire, famous events, personalities, and buildings are anecdotally presented.

2. as an anecdote.

   The blog post relates anecdotally how someone made $6,000 selling nude photos online.

3. in a way that is based on observation, case studies, or random investigation rather than systematic scientific evaluation.

   This is, of course, a difficult theory to prove in a double-blind study, but it bears out anecdotally.

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Other Word Forms

• unanecdotally adverb

Etymology

Origin of anecdotally

anecdotal ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

“The key for sustained success, in our view, is recovery performance, which anecdotally improved.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

The government hasn’t released a comprehensive accounting of what it has made from its investments, but anecdotally, the returns so far are robust.

From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025

We don’t have reliable numbers on self-deportation, besides what we read about anecdotally, people having chosen to return home as a result of the fear, uncertainty, and them not wanting to live like that.

From Slate • Aug. 11, 2025

And anecdotally, as I mentioned, I have witnessed again and again birdwatchers disregarding some birds in favor of flashier ones.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2025

Instruction must be carried on objectively, experimentally, anecdotally.

From Talks To Teachers On Psychology; And To Students On Some Of Life's Ideals by James, William