Synonyms

observational

American

[ob-zur-vey-shuh-nl] / ˌɒb zɜrˈveɪ ʃə nl /

adjective

of, relating to, or founded on observation, especially founded on observation rather than experiment.

Other Word Forms

nonobservational adjective
observationally adverb
preobservational adjective

Etymology

Origin of observational

First recorded in 1825–35; observation + -al ¹

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.

Women who chose not to be randomized were able to join an observational group and select their preferred screening strategy.

From Science Daily

Previous observational studies have linked this middle range to the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease.

From Science Daily

The researchers emphasize that these findings are observational.

From Science Daily

"The changes we are seeing are unprecedented in observational records back to the 19th Century," he added.

From BBC

This strong agreement makes it possible to draw more confident conclusions from limited observational data and deepens scientists' understanding of how these distant objects operate.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023