Clinically means in a way that relates to direct medical observation and treatment of patients, or in a detached, unemotional manner like a doctor making objective observations.

When a doctor examines a patient clinically, she's looking at symptoms, taking measurements, and making judgments based on medical evidence rather than guesses or feelings. A new medicine might be tested in laboratories first, but it must also be proven effective clinically, meaning it actually works when doctors use it to treat real patients in hospitals and clinics.

The word also describes an emotionally detached way of observing something. If someone describes a situation clinically, they're being factual and precise without letting feelings interfere, much like a scientist recording data. A teacher might clinically assess which study methods work best by comparing test scores rather than going with intuition alone.

In medical contexts, something clinically significant means it actually matters for diagnosis or treatment in practice. A patient might be clinically depressed, meaning a doctor has diagnosed depression based on specific symptoms and diagnostic criteria, a condition that requires professional treatment and differs from temporary sadness.