scientific

[sahy-uhn-tif-ik]

adjective

1. of or relating to science or the sciences.

   scientific studies.

2. occupied or concerned with science.

   scientific experts.

3. regulated by or conforming to the principles of exact science.

   scientific procedures.

4. systematic or accurate in the manner of an exact science.

scientific

/ ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk /

adjective

1. (prenominal) of, relating to, derived from, or used in science

   scientific equipment

2. (prenominal) occupied in science

   scientific manpower

3. conforming with the principles or methods used in science

   a scientific approach

Other Word Forms

• scientifically adverb
• antiscientific adjective
• antiscientifically adverb
• counterscientific adjective
• nonscientific adjective
• nonscientifically adverb
• prescientific adjective
• proscientific adjective
• quasi-scientific adjective
• quasi-scientifically adverb
• superscientific adjective
• superscientifically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of scientific¹

1580–90; < Medieval Latin scientificus, equivalent to scient- ( science ) + -i - -i- + -ficus -fic

Example Sentences

The results are brand-new and follow the standard practice of reporting scientific work only after acceptance by peer-reviewed journals.

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He spun wordplay, philosophical debates and scientific principles into popular theatrical entertainment, landing a string of West End and Broadway hits, and won a best-screenplay Oscar for the smash Hollywood film “Shakespeare in Love.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The funding freeze upended the university’s business model, suspending hundreds of scientific projects that included clinical trials with patients on lifesaving medicine and raising questions over how the institution could sustain that work.

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His writing was often philosophical or scientific, but consistently funny, a distinctive style that gave rise to the term Stoppardian.

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According to ministry sources, scientific studies show that Greece is experiencing a period of persistent drought comparable only to a previous crisis in 1988-1994.

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Related Words

• experimental 
• mathematical 
• objective