observational

adjective

Definition of observationalnext
as in empirical
based on observation or experience her reports on the great apes were based on firsthand observational evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of observational TikTok is a hotbed of beauty recommendations, but building a skin-care routine around products promoted on social media comes with risk, a small new observational study suggests. — Korin Miller, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026 The Roku Channel has greenlit Scarlett Holmes, a limited series that will star Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars, 2024’s F*** Marry Kill) as a descendant of Sherlock Holmes who has inherited the family’s observational powers. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 At present, even the best observational systems provide only a partial view of hurricanes at any point in time. — Chanh Kieu, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 Eleanor envisioned an observational film in the vein of Frederick Wiseman, and the doc is narrated by actress Diane Lane, a longtime Coppola family collaborator, who reads Eleanor’s contemporaneous diary entries from twenty years ago. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026 But adding just five more minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, every day could prevent up to 10% of premature deaths, according to a large observational study. — Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 29 Sep. 2026 My research focuses on finding links between fiber and different diseases in observational data and figuring out how to test them in a clinical trial. — Jean Liew, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026 But observational studies can only establish association — not causation. — Subramaniam C. Krishnan, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026 The researchers agreed that the accounts are observational and that pharmacological testing and long-term tracking are the necessary next steps. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for observational
  1. empirical
  2. experimental
  3. objective
Adjective
  • Both Fontaines were scouts well ahead of the deep empirical and objective analysis of baseball data — sabermetrics is the catchall term — that some believe has made scouts obsolete.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Others, like Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, think the empirical methods this would require are extremely unlikely to work, and place the chance that superintelligence kills us all very high.
    — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of empirical
Adjective
  • Its experimental Little Blue Menu concept served traditional Chick-fil-A menu items along with burgers, pizza and onion rings; the chain will convert its final location into a traditional Chick-fil-A next year.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The one-day event will screen 12 shorts from seven countries, with documentaries, dramas, comedies, animation and experimental pieces in the mix.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of experimental
Adjective
  • Both Fontaines were scouts well ahead of the deep empirical and objective analysis of baseball data — sabermetrics is the catchall term — that some believe has made scouts obsolete.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • By any objective measure, the Pan America is a capable, comfortable, raucous-sounding, brute-faced, mile-killer that attracts only the very finest heathens.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of objective

Browse Nearby Words

observation
observational
observations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Observational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observational. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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