experience
Americannoun
-
a particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something.
My encounter with the bear in the woods was a frightening experience.
-
the process or fact of personally observing, encountering, or undergoing something.
business experience.
-
the observing, encountering, or undergoing of things generally as they occur in the course of time.
to learn from experience; the range of human experience.
-
knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered, or undergone.
a man of experience.
-
Philosophy. the totality of the cognitions given by perception; all that is perceived, understood, and remembered.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
-
direct personal participation or observation; actual knowledge or contact
experience of prison life
-
a particular incident, feeling, etc, that a person has undergone
an experience to remember
-
accumulated knowledge, esp of practical matters
a man of experience
-
-
the totality of characteristics, both past and present, that make up the particular quality of a person, place, or people
-
the impact made on an individual by the culture of a people, nation, etc
the American experience
-
-
philosophy
-
the content of a perception regarded as independent of whether the apparent object actually exists Compare sense datum
-
the faculty by which a person acquires knowledge of contingent facts about the world, as contrasted with reason
-
the totality of a person's perceptions, feelings, and memories
-
verb
-
to participate in or undergo
-
to be emotionally or aesthetically moved by; feel
to experience beauty
Usage
What is another way to say experience? To experience something is to meet with it or feel it firsthand. How is experience different from undergo? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
preexperiencenoun
-
reexperienceverb
-
experienceableadjective
-
experiencelessadjective
-
postexperienceadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
experiencesimple
-
experiencessimple
-
have experiencedperfect
-
has experiencedperfect
-
am experiencingprogressive
-
are experiencingprogressive
-
is experiencingprogressive
-
have been experiencingperfect progressive
-
has been experiencingperfect progressive
Past
-
experiencedsimple
-
had experiencedperfect
-
was experiencingprogressive
-
were experiencingprogressive
-
had been experiencingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of experience
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin experientia, equivalent to experient- (stem of experiēns, past participle of experīrī “to try, test”; see ex- 1, peril) + -ia noun suffix; see -ence
Explanation
If you experience something, you go through an unusual or exciting event. If you're experiencing the world's loopiest roller coaster, you'd better hope that the amusement park doesn't experience a power outage. Sometimes experience means accumulated knowledge and sometimes it refers to a single spectacular event. If you have experience in cooking, you have worked in a restaurant before. Learning by experience is a method of acquiring knowledge by doing and not by reading. On the other hand, when you come back from summer camp, your mom will want to hear about your experiences. And white-water rafting is quite an unforgettable experience.
Vocabulary lists containing experience
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Schooled
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Chipotle boss Scott Boatwright said: "We are entering Mexico with deep respect for the country's culinary heritage and a commitment to delivering the Chipotle experience with excellence."
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
David McCullough, a prolific chronicler of the American experience, calls the construction of the Panama Canal “one of the supreme human achievements of all time.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Grisetti, who also directed various musical productions, notably brought his talent and experience to Cal State Fullerton and Loyola Marymount University, teaching acting, musical theater and business.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Those infected may be asymptomatic or experience uncomfortable symptoms, including “watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
In Penelope’s experience, being ignored on one’s birthday was far more distracting than a few moments of friendship and a spoonful of jam would have been.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Twenty years from now, sports viewing may be about fans creating their own reality, blending the real, the virtual and the astonishing for unique experiences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
"From some of those experiences, I developed depression at the age of 23," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
The study also highlights the brain's remarkable ability to continually adapt to major life experiences such as pregnancy and motherhood.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Discovery’s president of global experiences and studio operations, said in an interview with The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
He believed in a child-centered education that promoted understanding the world from the child’s level, taking into account individual development and concrete, tactile experiences such as working directly with plants, minerals for science, etc.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Or maybe you’ve experienced the unique frustration of peeling off a price tag and ending up with a stubborn gooey patch?
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
The GAO said the SPR experienced 16 major equipment failures since 2013.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
To Bateman, no amount of convincing mimicry changes the fact that an AI figure has never actually experienced the emotions it’s portraying.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
As a result, the electromagnetic waves effectively experienced the system as though it were spinning at extraordinary speed.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
And what I felt in him was a kind of hunger that I had not experienced in more than eighty years.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Either way, physicians say that people experiencing these events should call 911 or go directly to the hospital.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Another study found that men and women with elevated heart disease risk developed an influx of inflammatory cells in the heart after experiencing mild sleep restriction.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
Hot and windy conditions will meanwhile bring elevated wildfire conditions, with much of the western United States already experiencing abnormally dry to drought conditions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
In that clip from June 14, the possibility of paramedics performed CPR on an unnamed person experiencing cardiac arrest.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
She stands for everything new and interesting I’ve been experiencing recently.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
