trial and error

American  

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.

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trial and error British  

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

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trial and error Cultural  

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

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trial and error Idioms  

1. 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]

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Other Word Forms

• trial-and-error
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of trial and error

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

Trial and error is to be expected in a garden, Tilford says.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025

Trial and error is the Nervous System methodology.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2022

Trial and error has helped scientists and technicians refine their techniques during the pandemic.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 8, 2022

Trial and error seems to be the unofficial credo of most vegan cheesemakers, and to an extent, it has to be.

From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2021

Trial and error; the autobiography of Chalm Weizmann.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1977 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office