OBSERVATIONAL Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

observational

adjective

Definition of observational

as in empirical

based on observation or experience her reports on the great apes were based on firsthand observational evidence

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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 Her peerless ability to weave a story with keen observational skills and a guitar. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 While the study doesn’t prove that earlier menopause causes these brain changes, the observational findings add to existing evidence that the timing of menopause may be one factor that helps shape brain health later in life. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 25 Aug. 2026 The film’s observational intensity yields a form of symbolic realism that highlights both the action and its import—both the drama and the ideas and systems that undergird it. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026 Stephen Maing has upheld a standard of excellence in observational filmmaking through his works. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026 The results are observational, not causal, and because of the wide range of responses – not to mention the vast environmental and individual variables noted earlier – the study presents more questions than answers. — New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026 Total solar eclipses have driven major scientific breakthroughs for more than a century, most famously providing one of the first observational tests of Einstein’s general theory of relativity in 1919. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 The authors noted several limitations to their findings, including that the observational design cannot prove direct cause and effect. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Mendelian randomization can reduce some sources of bias that affect conventional observational research. — The Conversation Us, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for observational

Adjective

But, Stemler said, there isn’t much empirical data to show how pervasive this practice is, mostly just anecdotes.

— Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Allowing subjective confidence to silently acquire the epistemological status of empirical verification is neither verification nor evidence.

— Hamilton Mann, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of empirical

Adjective

But in 2018 Trump signed the Right to Try Act, which allows terminally ill patients to access certain experimental drugs and immunotherapy treatments that have not received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Hubble and Webb both have coronagraphs, but Roman’s experimental instrument is 100 to 1,000 times better than any built before, said Bertrand Mennesson, Roman deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of experimental

Adjective

Drift and Fiscal Waste When governance lacks objective metrics and community centering, the real-world consequences are severe.

— Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
This is where fantasy sports becomes more art than science, so let’s focus on the objective goals of weekly lineup construction first.

— Sports Betting, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of objective

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observation

observational

observations

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“Observational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/observational. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of observational

adjective

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