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

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Etymology

Origin of trial and error

First recorded in 1800–10

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trial and error

Rather than arriving at this design through trial and error alone, the team relied heavily on computer modeling.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Cement manufacturer Amrize uses predictive modeling to design custom concrete mixes, a process traditionally done through lengthy trial and error.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The feat followed trial and error that initially saw him mollycoddle corals in stress-free environments, but those easily perished in the ocean once transplanted.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

"I started 3D-printing them and I made lots of little tweaks. After a lot of trial and error, eventually these started to work really well."

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

A good illustration of the histories of trial and error involved is furnished by the development of gunpowder and gasoline from raw materials.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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