Definition of scientific adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary



    BrE BrE//ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk//
    ; NAmE NAmE//ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk//
    [usually before noun] Describing jobs
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  1. 1  involving science; connected with science a scientific discovery scientific knowledge sites of scientific interest CollocationsScientific researchTheory formulate/​advance a theory/​hypothesis build/​construct/​create/​develop a simple/​theoretical/​mathematical model develop/​establish/​provide/​use a theoretical/​conceptual framework advance/​argue/​develop the thesis that… explore an idea/​a concept/​a hypothesis make a prediction/​an inference base a prediction/​your calculations on something investigate/​evaluate/​accept/​challenge/​reject a theory/​hypothesis/​modelExperiment design an experiment/​a questionnaire/​a study/​a test do research/​an experiment/​an analysis make observations/​measurements/​calculations carry out/​conduct/​perform an experiment/​a test/​a longitudinal study/​observations/​clinical trials run an experiment/​a simulation/​clinical trials repeat an experiment/​a test/​an analysis replicate a study/​the results/​the findings observe/​study/​examine/​investigate/​assess a pattern/​a process/​a behaviour/(especially US English) a behavior fund/​support the research/​project/​study seek/​provide/​get/​secure funding for researchResults collect/​gather/​extract data/​information yield data/​evidence/​similar findings/​the same results analyse/​examine the data/​soil samples/​a specimen consider/​compare/​interpret the results/​findings fit the data/​model confirm/​support/​verify a prediction/​a hypothesis/​the results/​the findings prove a conjecture/​hypothesis/​theorem draw/​make/​reach the same conclusions read/​review the records/​literature describe/​report an experiment/​a study present/​publish/​summarize the results/​findings present/​publish/​read/​review/​cite a paper in a scientific journal See related entries: Describing jobs
  2. 2(of a way of doing something or thinking) careful and logical He took a very scientific approach to management. We need to be more scientific about this problem. opposite unscientific
  3. compare non-scientific
    Word Origin late 16th cent.: from French scientifique or late Latin scientificus ‘producing knowledge’, from scientia, from scire ‘know’. Early use described the liberal arts as opposed to the “mechanic” arts (i.e. arts requiring manual skill).Extra examples Her curiosity was purely scientific. His approach was not very scientific. It all looks highly scientific!
See the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary entry: scientific