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 Getting observational data from Thwaites’ grounding line is the next step, Rignot said. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026 Luminous The premiere-only section Luminous presents a wide range of styles and formalist approaches, from observational to personal to experimental. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026 The main culprit this past weekend was an observational quip Gillis made about how women dress in the gym. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 Limitations and Areas of Future Research Despite its size and lengthy follow-up period, the study was observational, meaning researchers couldn’t determine whether late-night eating directly contributed to liver disease. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 9 Oct. 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for observational

Adjective

The risks posed by obesity, however, are based on more empirical data.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of empirical

Adjective

On Uncle, fish narc sheds his past experimental impulses and finds a new identity within ebullient, feel-good college rock.

— Jeff Yerger, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
Spanish scientists have developed an experimental type of self-disinfecting cotton fabric, which is activated via ordinary white light.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of experimental

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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 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of observational

adjective

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