Word
clinical
Meanings
Relating to the care, examination, or treatment of patients, especially in a hospital or clinic.
Very objective and based on facts, sometimes seeming cold or lacking emotion.
Definition
Relating to the observation and treatment of patients in a medical setting, or to a coldly detached style.
Clinical most often describes work, information, or decisions connected with caring for patients in hospitals or clinics. It can also describe a way of speaking or thinking that is objective and unemotional. In this second sense, it suggests detachment rather than warmth. The meaning is usually clear from context.
Examples
- The report is clinical in tone, focusing on measurable outcomes rather than personal stories.
- I appreciated the clinical explanation, even though it felt a little detached.
- She gave a clinical summary of the symptoms before discussing possible next steps.
- They chose a clinical setting for the study to keep the observations consistent.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use clinical to mean simply "clean" or "sterile," but it more often refers to medical contexts or an emotionally detached style.
More at C1 level
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More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.