experimental
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, derived from, or founded on experiment.
an experimental science.
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of the nature of an experiment; tentative.
The new program is still in an experimental stage.
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functioning as an experiment or used for experimentation.
an experimental airplane.
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based on or derived from experience; empirical.
experimental knowledge.
noun
adjective
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relating to, based on, or having the nature of experiment
an experimental study
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based on or derived from experience; empirical
experimental evidence
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tending to experiment
an experimental artist
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tentative or provisional
an experimental rule in football
Other Word Forms
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nonexperimentaladjective
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postexperimentaladjective
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preexperimentaladjective
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pseudoexperimentaladjective
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quasi-experimentaladjective
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semiexperimentaladjective
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unexperimentaladjective
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experimentallyadverb
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nonexperimentallyadverb
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pseudoexperimentallyadverb
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quasi-experimentallyadverb
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semiexperimentallyadverb
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unexperimentallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of experimental
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word experīmentālis. See experiment, -al 1
Explanation
The adjective experimental is good for describing things that are still in a trial stage. An experimental drug is usually tested in a lab for years before being used on patients. Something that's experimental is at an early stage, being observed, tested out, and subjected to experiments as it's being developed. An experimental space craft might be launched and watched from afar as scientists decide what changes to make before it can be used for human space exploration. Experimental medicines are sometimes tested on animals before they're given to people. The 15th century meaning was "having experience," from the Latin root experimentum, "test or trial."
Vocabulary lists containing experimental
Awkward
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Content Summary 5.1: Causes of the Atlantic Revolutions
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for July 3–July 9, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although the program was eventually discontinued for strategic reasons, the experimental medication had already progressed through a Phase 1 clinical trial, where it was successfully evaluated for safety in humans.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
Although these results are encouraging, the strategy remains experimental and will require additional research before it can be evaluated in human patients.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
Even more promising, they have identified an experimental drug that has already undergone safety testing in humans and could potentially interfere with this process.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
Abounader and his colleagues published their experimental approach and initial laboratory findings in JCI, the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026
An experimental study of the effects of improvisation on the development of children’s creative thinking in music.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
