experiential
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of experiential
From the Medieval Latin word experientiālis, dating back to 1640–50. See experience, -al 1
Explanation
Something experiential comes from the real world — from experience. Experiential things can be seen, touched, and verified. Some knowledge comes from reading about it. But experiential knowledge comes from actually doing and experiencing it. If you learned to sail by spending every summer on the water with your own boat, then you have an experiential understanding of sailing. If something is experiential, it's real, rather than conceptual. But you can't learn everything experientially. That's what books are for.
Vocabulary lists containing experiential
The Left Hand of Darkness
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Turtles All the Way Down
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Watch Us Rise
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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.
Once-affordable smart screens are about to be much more expensive to make and to purchase because of hardware costs, not because of added experiential innovations.
From Slate • May 3, 2026
But when asked why people were seeking out unusual accommodation, he said the buzzword was "experiential".
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Regarding contemporary customs, Mr. Currey reveals part of the experiential underpinnings of his book.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
With these Olympics, his role further evolved into an experiential one, and to serve as an informal mentor and ambassador to the athletes.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026
Examining experiential differences between improvisation and composition in children’s music-making.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
