clinical

adjective

clin·​i·​cal ˈkli-ni-kəl How to pronounce clinical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or conducted in or as if in a clinic: such as
a
: involving direct observation of the patient
clinical diagnosis
b
: based on or characterized by observable and diagnosable symptoms
clinical treatment
clinical tuberculosis
2
: analytical or coolly dispassionate
describing the situation with clinical detachment
3
US, informal : done or performed with excellence and precision : exemplary
In the meantime Bryant … continued his clinical shooting, which has allowed him to more than double his scoring average …Alexander Wolff
clinically adverb

Examples of clinical in a Sentence

Both experimental and clinical evidence show that the treatment is effective. She enjoys her clinical practice but is looking forward to working in a laboratory. Three hundred patients were involved in the clinical study.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In healthcare, for example, organizations struggle to unlock data intelligence to make decisions related to clinical care and operations. Jeffrey Sullivan, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 With more than 30 years as a clinical nurse, nurse educator, quality manager, and nurse executive, Dr. Thompson is a leading authority on workplace bullying and incivility and spends the majority of her time working with healthcare leaders who want to cultivate a healthy workforce. Nia Bowers, USA Today, 28 May 2025 Villa endeavoured to refine a more compact defensive structure while being clinical up front… and the response was startling. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 28 May 2025 But there are private neurology practices or clinical centers with expertise to treat dementia, Kolachalama points out. Korin Miller, Flow Space, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for clinical

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clinical was circa 1728

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clinical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clinical. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

clinical

adjective
clin·​i·​cal ˈklin-i-kəl How to pronounce clinical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or conducted in or as if in a clinic
clinical examination
2
: involving or based on direct observation of the patient
clinical studies
clinically adverb

Medical Definition

clinical

adjective
clin·​i·​cal ˈklin-i-kəl How to pronounce clinical (audio)
: of, relating to, or conducted in or as if in a clinic: as
a
: involving or concerned with the direct observation and treatment of living patients
engaged in full-time clinical practice
clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology
b
: of, relating to, based on, or characterized by observable and diagnosable symptoms of disease
the clinical picture on admission was that of mild depression in an extremely rigid personalityOccupational Therapy & Rehabilitation
three of these six foods were actually the cause of symptoms, and upon their elimination, clinical cure was effectedJournal of Pediatrics
clinically adverb
a clinically significant infection
clinically effective therapies

More from Merriam-Webster on clinical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!