observational
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- nonobservational adjective
- observationally adverb
- preobservational adjective
Etymology
Origin of observational
First recorded in 1825–35; observation + -al 1
Vocabulary lists containing observational
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The Earth’s energy imbalance has increased since its observational record began in 1960, particularly in the past 20 years. It reached a new high in 2025."
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
She lost her sight aged 17, five years ago, and says her more observational tics, such as focusing on peoples' physical appearances, have since lessened.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
Although middle-aged, I had not lost the observational skills I’d learned in middle school: I could quickly identify the cool kids and the ones eager for their approval.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
It's the strongest observational record yet of the long-theorized phenomenon that some stars simply fade into black holes, the authors say.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
Both theories lack observational evidence: no one has ever seen a giant tortoise with the earth on its back, but then, no one has seen a superstring either.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
