unscientific

adjective

un·​sci·​en·​tif·​ic ˌən-ˌsī-ən-ˈti-fik How to pronounce unscientific (audio)
: not scientific : not based on or exhibiting scientific knowledge or scientific methodology : not in accord with the principles and methods of science
an unscientific survey
unscientific claims
an unscientific approach
unscientifically adverb

Examples of unscientific in a Sentence

I conducted an unscientific survey.
Recent Examples on the Web The Times sifted through an academy database of more than 1,500 speeches, using various keyword searches, in a wholly unscientific quest to determine who gets the most shout-outs. David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 That agency scientific integrity initiatives would single out knowledge based on social categories like race and ethnicity is unscientific. James Broughel, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In an unscientific poll conducted by the local news Web site Hell Gate, nearly everyone viewed Flaco more favorably than the city’s current mayor, Eric Adams, and the former New York governor Andrew Cuomo. Naaman Zhou, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 The answer to that pursuit can be found only in something given little attention in laboratories, classrooms and battlefields — the undefinable, unscientific realm of art. Valli Herman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Nature has historically been one of the most read, cited, and prestigious academic journals, which makes its collapse into shallow and unscientific ideological advocacy deeply disappointing. Andrew Follett, National Review, 6 Jan. 2024 All of this seems very corny and unscientific, and when Nate dares to question it, he gets insulted and rebuffed. Vulture, 21 Dec. 2023 The Chinese ticketing agencies have not yet published user ratings, but Variety’s unscientific sampling of early online commentary harvested from fan site Douban suggest mostly positive responses, especially for the film’s epic staging. Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Dec. 2023 Our phenotypic variations can be accounted for with proper evidence, without the unscientific conclusion of inferiority and resultant malpractice. De-Shaine Murray, STAT, 29 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unscientific.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1775, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unscientific was circa 1775

Dictionary Entries Near unscientific

Cite this Entry

“Unscientific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unscientific. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unscientific

adjective
un·​sci·​en·​tif·​ic ˌən-ˌsī-ən-ˈtif-ik How to pronounce unscientific (audio)
: not scientific: as
a
: not being in agreement with the principles and methods of science
an unscientific poll
b
: not showing scientific knowledge or familiarity with scientific methods
an unscientific explanation
unscientifically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unscientific

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!