observational

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.

These studies were observational, which differs from research done on drugs to study intended effects.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

They repeatedly compared their calculations with climate simulations and observational data, refining the equations over several months until the models aligned with reality.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

This research is observational, which means it cannot prove cause and effect.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

"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

The high point in indigenous Chinese astronomy occurred around 1280, with the work of Kuo Shou-ching, who used an observational baseline of 1,500 years and improved both astronomical instruments and mathematical techniques for computation.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan