clinical
adjective
clin·i·cal
ˈkli-ni-kəl 
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
Alexander WolffExamples 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
Co-hosts Mexico put on a clinical performance in their first game, beating South Africa 2-0 to grab all three points.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 June 2026
Efforts are underway to recruit more doctors and expand imaging and clinical capabilities.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2026
Face masks, hair caps, full-body panels and pocket-sized wands all promise clinical results from your bathroom or living room, and the price spread now runs from under $200 to north of $3,000.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Heather Milton, a clinical exercise physiologist at the Sports Performance Center at NYU Langone Health, told The New York Times that pickleball builds skills walking and cycling do not.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for clinical
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Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 June 2026
Efforts are underway to recruit more doctors and expand imaging and clinical capabilities.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2026
Face masks, hair caps, full-body panels and pocket-sized wands all promise clinical results from your bathroom or living room, and the price spread now runs from under $200 to north of $3,000.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Heather Milton, a clinical exercise physiologist at the Sports Performance Center at NYU Langone Health, told The New York Times that pickleball builds skills walking and cycling do not.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for clinical
Cite this Entry
“Clinical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clinical. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clinical
adjective
clin·i·cal
ˈklin-i-kəl
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
Medical Definition
clinical
adjective
clin·i·cal
ˈklin-i-kəl
: 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 personality—Occupational Therapy & Rehabilitation
Occupational Therapy & Rehabilitationthree of these six foods were actually the cause of symptoms, and upon their elimination, clinical cure was effected—Journal of Pediatrics
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