experience

American  

[ik-speer-ee-uhns] / ɪkˈspɪər i əns /

noun

1. a particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something.

   My encounter with the bear in the woods was a frightening experience.

2. the process or fact of personally observing, encountering, or undergoing something.

   business experience.

3. 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.

4. knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered, or undergone.

   a man of experience.

5. Philosophy. the totality of the cognitions given by perception; all that is perceived, understood, and remembered.

---

verb (used with object)

experienced, experiencing

1. to have experience of; meet with; undergo; feel.

   to experience nausea.

   Synonyms:

   suffer, endure, brook, bear

2. to learn by experience.

idioms

1. experience religion, to undergo a spiritual conversion by which one gains or regains faith in God.

experience British  

/ ɪkˈspɪərɪəns /

noun

1. direct personal participation or observation; actual knowledge or contact

   experience of prison life

2. a particular incident, feeling, etc, that a person has undergone

   an experience to remember

3. accumulated knowledge, esp of practical matters

   a man of experience

4. 1. the totality of characteristics, both past and present, that make up the particular quality of a person, place, or people

   2. the impact made on an individual by the culture of a people, nation, etc

      the American experience

5. philosophy

   1. the content of a perception regarded as independent of whether the apparent object actually exists Compare sense datum

   2. the faculty by which a person acquires knowledge of contingent facts about the world, as contrasted with reason

   3. the totality of a person's perceptions, feelings, and memories

---

verb

1. to participate in or undergo

2. 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

• experienceable
  adjective
• experienceless
  adjective
• postexperience
  adjective
• preexperience
  noun
• reexperience
  verb

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.

Example Sentences

Starbucks SVP of Digital and Loyalty Paul Riedel said the app is a beta experience and “an opportunity for us to listen, learn, and refine as we go.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Keane's knowledge of Celtic, experience of winning and European football make him an attractive fit.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

The article suggests her experience in governance provided meaningful contrast to her opponents’ approaches, despite their attempts to position her as emblematic of established politics.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

"Our historical experience has taught us that delegating vital matters... to international judicial bodies has been detrimental to our sovereignty and our territorial integrity," he said.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

The pools of mortgage loans were just about to experience their first losses, and the moment they did, Hubler would be paid in full.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• acquaintance
• background
• exposure
• familiarity
• intimacy
• involvement
• know-how
• knowledge
• participation
• practice
• understanding