DictionaryAI

scientific

adjective
sy-uhn-TIF-ik/ˌsaɪ.ənˈtɪfɪk/

2 meanings of scientific

Practice

  1. 1
    of researchadjective
    Having to do with science or the study of the natural world.

    She read a scientific magazine about distant planets.

    The museum keeps old scientific tools behind glass.

    UsageUse it before a noun, like scientific research. A person who works in science is a scientist.

    Similaracademic, scholarly, technical

    Note
  2. 2
    adjective
    Done in the careful, tested way that scientists work.

    We need a scientific way to measure how fast the plants grow.

    Her test was not scientific, because she only tried it once.

    UsageYou can say more scientific or not scientific about a way of doing something.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of scientific apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It came from a Middle French word scientifique, which came from the Medieval Latin word scientificus, meaning "pertaining to science."

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 3 facts