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

Vocabulary lists containing observational

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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

After the year-long observational study, researchers say regulators should act now to ensure products marketed to under-fives offer "psychological safety".

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Those possible long-term benefits come from observational follow-up periods after the original trials ended.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026

Mr. Llamazares’s writing is finely observational and often delicate: “My submachine-gun leaves a shadow of death on the ground like an elongated ear of wheat,” Ángel notices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Tycho was the greatest observational genius of the age, and Kepler the greatest theoretician.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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