ilmiah

Ilmiah is an Indonesian and Malay adjective meaning "scientific" or "relating to science." It derives from ilmu, meaning knowledge or science, with a suffix that forms an attributive adjective. The term is common in formal and academic discourse to describe methods, research, or content that follows a systematic, evidence-based approach.

In usage, phrases such as "metode ilmiah" (scientific method), "penelitian ilmiah" (scientific research), "pendidikan ilmiah" (science education), and "artikel ilmiah" (scientific article) are widespread. Content described as ilmiah typically emphasizes empirical evidence, testable hypotheses, reproducibility, and logical reasoning, distinguishing it from anecdotal or unverified claims.

Although ilmiah signals rigor, it does not guarantee quality; credibility depends on data quality, transparent methodologies, and in many cases peer review. In Indonesian and Malay scholarship, terms like "ilmu pengetahuan" or "pengetahuan ilmiah" refer to science more broadly, while "ilmiah" highlights the methodological or disciplinary aspect of the material.