trial and error

noun

1. experimentation or investigation in which various methods or means are tried and faulty ones eliminated in order to find the correct solution or to achieve the desired result or effect.

trial and error

noun

1. a method of discovery, solving problems, etc, based on practical experiment and experience rather than on theory

   he learned to cook by trial and error

trial and error

1. To “proceed by trial and error” is to experiment, rejecting what does not work and adopting what does.

Other Word Forms

• trial-and-error adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trial and error¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Idioms and Phrases

An attempt to accomplish something by trying various means until the correct one is found. for example, The only way to solve this problem is by trial and error. The error here alludes to the failed means or attempts, which are discarded until the right way is found. [c. 1800]