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
NellaSpec also offers a reusable option for clinical settings that is now in hospitals including the Cleveland Clinic, UC Systems, Kaiser, and Columbia, and the cost is part of the exam, according to the company.
—Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Participants underwent an initial baseline assessment and were assigned individualized vagus nerve stimulation protocols designed by Pulsetto’s clinical team.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Back in 2014, the company secured FDA authorization for a compassionate-use protocol allowing the Hemopurifier to be used in up to 20 patients with Ebola across 10 clinical sites in the United States.
—Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2026
Diagnosis depends on combining clinical findings with multiple laboratory markers, which is why doctors often pull from several tests rather than relying on one number.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for clinical
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Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Participants underwent an initial baseline assessment and were assigned individualized vagus nerve stimulation protocols designed by Pulsetto’s clinical team.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Back in 2014, the company secured FDA authorization for a compassionate-use protocol allowing the Hemopurifier to be used in up to 20 patients with Ebola across 10 clinical sites in the United States.
—Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2026
Diagnosis depends on combining clinical findings with multiple laboratory markers, which is why doctors often pull from several tests rather than relying on one number.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 4 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 10 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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