experiment
Americannoun
-
experiments
plural
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a test, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc..
a chemical experiment; a teaching experiment; an experiment in living.
-
the conducting of such operations; experimentation.
a product that is the result of long experiment.
- Synonyms:
- investigation, research
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Obsolete. experience.
verb (used without object)
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experiments,
present (3rd person singular)
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experimented,
past participle, past
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experimenting
present participle
noun
-
a test or investigation, esp one planned to provide evidence for or against a hypothesis: a scientific experiment
-
the act of conducting such an investigation or test; experimentation; research
-
an attempt at something new or different; an effort to be original
a poetic experiment
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an obsolete word for experience
verb
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A test or procedure carried out under controlled conditions to determine the validity of a hypothesis or make a discovery.
-
See Note at hypothesis
Synonym Usage
See trial.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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experimentatornoun
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experimenternoun
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experimentornoun
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preexperimentnoun
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reexperimentverb (used without object)
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proexperimentadjective
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unexperimentedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
experimentsimple
-
experimentssimple
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have experimentedperfect
-
has experimentedperfect
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am experimentingprogressive
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are experimentingprogressive
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is experimentingprogressive
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have been experimentingperfect progressive
-
has been experimentingperfect progressive
Past
-
experimentedsimple
-
had experimentedperfect
-
was experimentingprogressive
-
were experimentingprogressive
-
had been experimentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of experiment
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English: “proof,” from Latin experīmentum “test, trial,” from experī(rī) “to test, try” ( see experience) + -mentum -ment
Explanation
If you see your science-loving neighbor headed home with a power cord, a handful of test tubes, a stopwatch, and a bag of potatoes, there’s probably no need to be alarmed. There’s a good chance he’s only conducting an experiment, a scientific test conducted under controlled conditions. To refer to a scientific test, use the noun experiment. If you want to describe the work done in conducting such a test, experiment will do the trick as well, since it can also act as a verb, as in "scientists experiment with helium." You can also use it more generally to describe trying a new method or idea. For example, you could experiment with a new hairstyle or different routes to get to school or work.
Vocabulary lists containing experiment
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4
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The Scientific Method
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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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.
See Examples For:
Winterich conducted an experiment with college students moving out of dorm rooms.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
One experiment found people had warmer, more engaged interactions with robots that made social flubs, including “judgmental mistakes, wrong assumptions, expressing tiredness or boredom, or getting overexcited.”
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026
In the new experiment, the Duke-led team reproduced analogous string breaking behavior using a trapped-ion quantum platform.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
In a controlled experiment, professionals using AI finished writing tasks in 40% less time with 18% higher quality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
From the outside, they looked like all types of kids: short, tall, tiny, big-boned, brown-skinned, white-skinned, brown-haired, blond-haired, dressed as dancers, dressed as athletes, wearing goggles like they were about to do a science experiment....
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In some experiments, changes in the microbiota were also associated with improvements in measurements related to glucose and lipid metabolism.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026
The experiments also hinted at another possible use.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
For Barber, that evolutionary record offers a natural archive of biological experiments that could help researchers develop new medical tools.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
Laboratory experiments showed that some reconstructed peptides from extinct ancestors were more effective against drug resistant bacteria than some versions found in modern species.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
He was pretty sure he knew exactly what those experiments were about.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
The group filled arenas across the West, collaborated with major American artists, experimented with hip-hop and electronic music, and turned their own fashion and creative identities into part of their appeal.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The gathering is the first Republican national convention held specifically for a midterm election, although Democrats experimented with similar meetings in the 1970s and 1980s.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
The original headquarters of JonnyPops was the basement of their college dorm, where they blended prototypes and experimented in ice-cube trays.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
At first, the researchers experimented with ways to chemically transform PVC molecules into different materials.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
He kept a small ball in his waist pouch and experimented with it whenever he had the chance.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
His Copenhagen restaurant Alchemist is experimenting with chocolate alternatives because "the chocolate market is also under pressure," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Watch the video above to understand how the industry is experimenting with technology that could change how music is made, performed and experienced.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
"It is an attempt to just start experimenting a bit and innovating, with an event that will determine who really is the best of the best," Coe told BBC Sport.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
This places Praearcturus at a pivotal moment in Earth's history when animals were first experimenting with life outside the oceans.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
There was still paint and glue stuck in his hair from when he was experimenting with fabrics earlier in the day.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
