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.

Observational research in this context means that scientists ask people what they eat, and then look at whether the foods they consume are linked to their long-term risk of cancer.

From Slate • Sep. 5, 2025

Observational studies followed people over the years to see how their diets were linked to their health.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2024

Observational studies suggest that higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy can be protective against asthma.

From Science Daily • Nov. 9, 2023

This tag-team approach “is more comprehensive, and scientifically more rich,” says Dipankar Banerjee, director of the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, which runs the Devasthal Observatory.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 13, 2022

In fact, the fundamental principle was to begin with Observational Science, facts collected; to proceed to Classificatory Science, facts arranged; and to end with Inductive Science, facts reasoned upon and laws deduced.

From Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley — Volume 1 by Huxley, Thomas Henry