Meaning & use

anecdotal

adjective·Academic

Based on personal accounts or individual instances rather than systematic research or facts.

See it in a sentence

The claim that the supplement cures colds is only anecdotal, not backed by clinical studies.

Doctors warned against relying on anecdotal evidence when choosing a treatment.

A note on using this word

Anecdotal evidence is often persuasive because it involves personal stories, even though it is far less reliable than data from controlled studies.

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