| Library / English Dictionary |
OBSERVATIONAL
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Relying on observation or experiment
Example:
experimental results that supported the hypothesis
Synonyms:
data-based; experimental; observational
Classified under:
Similar:
empiric; empirical (derived from experiment and observation rather than theory)
Context examples:
In fact, observational studies have shown that stress could be as potent a risk factor for heart disease as high blood pressure and smoking.
(Biological Link Found Between Stress, Heart Disease, VOA)
This observational technique was first proposed by the visionary English scientist John Michell in 1783, but it has only become feasible with recent technological improvements in telescopes and detectors.
(Unpredicted stellar black hole discovered by astronomers, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
In a proof-of-concept study based on five observational cohorts in almost 17,000 participants, researchers scanned 5,000 proteins in a plasma sample taken from each participant.
(Study highlights potential for ‘liquid health check’ to predict disease risk, University of Cambridge)
They enrolled 525 healthy adults, ages 70 and older, in a 5-year observational study.
(Study Points to Possible Blood Test For Memory Decline, Alzheimer’s, NIH)
This was a prospective, observational study which included 545 adult men who underwent multi-slice computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease.
(Grey Hair Linked with Increased Heart Disease Risk in Men, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
"Astronomers have carried out other observational tests of dark matter theories before, but ours provides the strongest evidence yet for the presence of small clumps of cold dark matter.
(Cosmic Magnifying Glasses Find Dark Matter in Small Clumps, NASA)
An uncontrolled observational study containing a detailed report of the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient.
(Case Study, NCI Thesaurus)
Combining observational data with theoretical models, the team of astronomers from the UK, Chile and Germany were able to paint a clearer image of this unique system.
(First Giant Planet around White Dwarf Found, ESO)
Previous observational studies looking at large groups of people had shown associations between diets high in processed foods and health problems.
(Heavily processed foods cause overeating and weight gain, National Institutes of Health)
There are now five different lines of observational evidence pointing to the existence of Planet Nine, said Konstantin Batygin, a planetary astrophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena, California, whose team may be closing in.
(The Super-Earth that Came Home for Dinner, NASA)
