anecdotal

American  

[an-ik-doht-l] / ˌæn ɪkˈdoʊt l /

adjective

1. pertaining to, resembling, or containing anecdotes.

   an anecdotal history of jazz.

2. Fine Arts. (of the treatment of subject matter in representational art) pertaining to the relationship of figures or to the arrangement of elements in a scene so as to emphasize the story content of a subject.

3. based on personal observation, case study reports, or random investigations rather than systematic scientific evaluation.

   anecdotal evidence.

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anecdotal British  

/ ˌænɛkˈdəʊtəl /

adjective

1. containing or consisting exclusively of anecdotes rather than connected discourse or research conducted under controlled conditions

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Usage

What does anecdotal mean? Anecdotal describes something that is related to a short account of an incident from a particular perspective.Something that is anecdotal is a story told through anecdotes. An anecdote is a short recounting of an event from someone’s point of view, normally in a pleasant or humorous manner. For example, anecdotal history is a historical account that is laid out through the perspectives of the people involved.Anecdotal also describes something, such as research, that is based on personal observation and experience. Anecdotal evidence can be gathered by interviews, surveys, and other methods that allow people to share their experiences with the researcher.  In comparison, scientific evidence is gathered by comparing a dependent and independent variable in a controlled environment. Both types of evidence are important, but anecdotal evidence can’t prove something the way repeated testing and consistent results can.Example: My science paper relied on anecdotal evidence instead of experimentation, so the teacher gave me a low grade.

Other Word Forms

• anecdotalism noun
• anecdotally adverb
• unanecdotal adjective

Etymology

Origin of anecdotal

First recorded in 1830–40; anecdote + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Early anecdotal evidence suggests that participating in No Kings events is motivating the women organizing them to think more about what they can do to support their country’s democracy.

From Salon

The Federal Reserve’s February “beige book,” an anecdotal survey of nationwide economic conditions, cited immigration enforcement from Boston to Minnesota.

From The Wall Street Journal

These are just anecdotal examples, and it will be the job of the watchdog to decide if there are wider problems in the sector.

From BBC

Yet all the anecdotal evidence and market research shows that an emotionally intelligent, humanlike AI is one people will spend more time chatting with.

From The Wall Street Journal

“However, that is anecdotal, as the data over the past two decades does not support the thesis that rising gas prices negatively impacts industry traffic.”

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• unreliable
• unscientific