znanstveno

Znanstveno is a Slavic adjective meaning "scientific" or "scientific-". It is derived from the noun znanost, which refers to knowledge or science, and is cognate with the verb znati, meaning "to know." The root of the term can be traced back to Proto-Slavic *znanstь, signifying knowledge or learnedness, and is related to the Latin word scientia, which in turn comes from the verb scire (to know). The suffix -sko attaches to create an adjective denoting relation or characteristic, so znanstveno literally translates as "pertaining to knowledge" or "relating to science."

In contemporary use, znanstveno is employed across Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Slovenian, and other South Slavic languages to qualify research, methods, or publications that are based on systematic inquiry, empirical evidence, and the scientific method. For instance, znanstveno istraživanje means scientific research, and znanstveno spoznanje means scientific knowledge. The term is commonly found in academic writing, university curricula, and policy documents to differentiate approaches that rely on rigorous, reproducible procedures versus anecdotal or traditional knowledge. Znanstveno also appears in compound phrases such as znanstveno-mathematical, znanstveno-članak, or znanstveno-košarka, the latter indicating a scientific approach to sports training.

The adjective has contributed to the development of numerous related constructions in Slavic languages, including neuter and feminine forms such as znanstveno (neuter) and znanstvena (feminine). It is regularly taught in basic language courses to illustrate how Slavic languages form descriptive terms for disciplines. The persistent use of znanstveno underscores a linguistic tradition of valuing systematic inquiry and empirical rigor as central to modern scholarship.