Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
anecdotal - 3 dictionary results

an⋅ec⋅do⋅tal

  [an-ik-doht-l, an-ik-doht-l]
Use anecdotal in a Sentence
–adjective
1. pertaining to, resembling, or containing anecdotes: an anecdotal history of jazz.
2. (of the treatment of subject matter in representational art) pertaining to the relationship of figures or to the arrangement of elements in a scene so as to emphasize the story content of a subject. Compare narrative (def. 6).
3. based on personal observation, case study reports, or random investigations rather than systematic scientific evaluation: anecdotal evidence.
Origin:
1830–40; anecdote + -al 1

Related forms:
an⋅ec⋅do⋅tal⋅ism, noun
an⋅ec⋅do⋅tal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To anecdotal
an·ec·dot·al   (ān'ĭk-dōt'l)   
adj.  
  1. also an·ec·dot·ic (-dŏt'ĭk) or an·ec·dot·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) Of, characterized by, or full of anecdotes.
  2. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There are anecdotal reports of children poisoned by hot dogs roasted over a fire of the [oleander] stems" (C. Claiborne Ray).
an'ec·dot'al·ist n., an'ec·dot'al·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Anecdotal

An"ec*do`tal\, a. Pertaining to, or abounding with, anecdotes; as, anecdotal conversation.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see anecdotal on Thesaurus | Reference