Anecdotal

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: [ˌænɪkˈdəʊ̯tɫ̩]

Definitions

1. Based on or consisting of personal accounts rather than systematic evidence or statistical proof
2. Relating to or involving stories or personal experiences rather than formal research and objective analysis
3. Pertaining to narratives or individual observations rather than empirical data and systematic inquiry

Etymology: The adjective "anecdotal" is built from "anecdote" plus the suffix "-al", and the suffix is the more ancient piece. The "-al" ending traces back through Latin "-ālis", which formed adjectives meaning "pertaining to" or "of the nature of" a noun, and it reached English via Old French "-el" and Middle English "-al". Stripping the suffix away, the base noun "anecdote" is the one that tells the more striking story. "Anecdote" entered English from French, and it ultimately comes from Greek "anekdota", meaning "things unpublished". The word was thus originally a label for private, unreleased material rather than for short entertaining tales. Over time the sense shifted toward brief, personal accounts told in conversation, and "anecdotal" grew naturally from that meaning: something anecdotal rests on such personal reports rather than on systematic study or documented evidence.

Synonyms: narrative, reportorial, historical, informal, illustrative

Antonyms: scientific, formal, systematic, factual, analytical