methodological

American  

[meth-uh-dl-oj-i-kuhl] / ˌmɛθ ə dlˈɒdʒ ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or following the system of methods, principles, and rules that regulate a given discipline.

   This chapter provides practical advice, case studies, and methodological instruction.

   In his Principia, Sir Isaac Newton laid the methodological foundation of modern scientific theory and practice.

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Other Word Forms

• methodologically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of methodological

methodolog(y) ( def. ) + -ical ( def. )

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Explanation

Use the adjective methodological when you want to describe something that relates to the methods and practices of a certain discipline. As a doctor, you should always follow best methodological practices. If a patient has a headache, don't treat him for a sore foot or vice versa. The roots of the adjective methodological can be broken into parts. Working backwards, -ical means "of or pertaining to," -ology means "branch of knowledge," and method is from both the Latin and Greek words methodus, meaning "a way of teaching or scientific inquiry." If you don't limit the variables, your research may have poor methodology. If you want to look at genes in blue-eyed people, but you study green-eyed people as well, you will have methodological problems.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

methodological

Wednesday's revisions to PCE data were due to planned methodological changes, including to how the BEA calculates prices for computer-related products, portfolio management and legal services.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Its recommendations include greater interdisciplinary collaboration, new methodological approaches, and longitudinal studies that can track changes over time.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

House of Representatives subcommittee overseeing the Census Bureau from 1987 to 1994, said the report’s minimal methodological information raised questions about the accuracy of the results.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

They argue that there’s no way out of this methodological predicament; the future effects of climate change are irreducibly uncertain, and could be small or large.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

Natural experiments in any field, whether in ecology or human history, are inherently open to potential methodological criticisms.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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