unwissenschaftlicher

Unwissenschaftlicher (declined form of unwissenschaftlich) is a German adjective used to describe something that is not scientific or lacks scientific basis. It characterizes claims, methods, or actors that do not meet standard scientific criteria such as empirical evidence, rigorous methodology, or reproducibility. In public and academic discourse the term is often pejorative and is applied to pseudoscientific ideas, unverified assertions, or arguments that ignore data.

The adjective can modify nouns such as unwissenschaftliche Methoden (unscientific methods), unwissenschaftliche Behauptungen (unscientific claims), or unwissenschaftliches Vorgehen (unscientific conduct). A rare noun form, der Unwissenschaftliche, can refer to a person who acts in an unscientific manner, though more neutral phrasing is common. The related term Unwissenschaftlichkeit denotes the state or quality of being unscientific, but in practice speakers prefer expressions like mangelnde Wissenschaftlichkeit or Pseudowissenschaft to describe such phenomena.

Etymologically, the word combines un- with Wissenschaftlich (scientific), following a common German pattern for negation. It is used across German-speaking media, academia, and policy debates to distinguish scientifically grounded positions from those deemed lacking in evidence or methodological rigor. While it helps signal critique of specific procedures or claims, its pejorative connotation means it is often employed carefully to avoid overstating the absence of scientific support. Related concepts include Wissenschaftlichkeit (scientific rigor) and Pseudowissenschaft (pseudoscience).