observationally
observationally — adverb
1. by watching people, animals, or events with close attention over a period of tim
by watching people, animals, or events with close attention over a period of time, and noting what happens, in order to gain understanding or gather information.
The children observed the tadpoles observationally, noting any changes in shape or movement each day.
observationally + noting specific changes
Unlike a controlled experiment, this study was conducted purely observationally, without interfering with the subjects.
contrast: purely observationally vs. controlled experiment
Cyrus studied the chimpanzees observationally from a distance, recording their social interactions in a notebook.
The biologist worked observationally for three months before drawing any conclusions about the reef's health.
- empirically
broader — refers to knowledge gained through experience or experiment, not just watching
- perceptually
focuses on sensory awareness rather than the systematic method of watching
- theoretically
based on reasoning or theory rather than direct observation
- speculatively
based on guesswork rather than careful watching
文法句型
used before adjectives or past participles
used with verbs describing perception or study
用法筆記
Typically used in academic or scientific contexts to describe research methods. Often modifies verbs like 'study', 'examine', 'record', or 'monitor' — or acts as a sentence adverb ('Observationally, the pattern was clear'). Less common in everyday speech.