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

clinically

ˈkli-ni-k(ə-)lē 

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

Advertisement Generally, most patients who arrive in a doctor’s office with diarrhea alone, said clinical microbiologist Ian McHardy, never get tested because additional symptoms that may indicate a bacterial infection are not present. —Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023

In clinical testing, the products reduced acne blemishes by 36% when used together. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2023

In the new analysis, the research team did not know if study participants had clinical food allergies, but Keet said it can be assumed that most participants probably weren’t severely allergic to the foods in question. —Cathy Cassata, Health, 23 Nov. 2023

The last time clinical guidance for BOP was released was in 2016. —Jamie Joseph, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2023

Some of Mayo’s clinical leaders are also working to develop standards for AI adoption and testing through the Coalition for Health AI, a group that includes Stanford, Duke, and Johns Hopkins as well as Microsoft and federal regulators. —Casey Ross, STAT, 21 Nov. 2023

Jay Ferro, chief information, technology and product officer of clinical research data-management company Clario said the uncertainty isn’t necessarily impacting his short-term decisions about choosing AI vendors. —Isabelle Bousquette, WSJ, 20 Nov. 2023

So why isn’t every healthcare facility rushing to automate its entire clinical data curation process? —Brian Foy, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

Last month, the VA gave $1 billion in grants to community nonprofits for the upcoming year to tackle the issue, the most ever, said Jill Albanese, director of clinical operations at the Veterans Health Administration’s Homeless Programs Office. —R.j. Rico, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

circa 1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing clinical

• clinical depression
• clinical psychology
• clinical trial
• clinical psychologist
• clinical thermometer

• clinical depression
• clinical psychology
• clinical trial
• clinical psychologist
• clinical thermometer

Kids 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

clinically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

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

three of these six foods were actually the cause of symptoms, and upon their elimination, clinical cure was effected

—Journal of Pediatrics

clinically

-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

a clinically significant infection

clinically effective therapies