experiential
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- experientially adverb
- nonexperiential adjective
- nonexperientially adverb
- transexperiential adjective
- unexperiential adjective
- unexperientially adverb
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.
But when asked why people were seeking out unusual accommodation, he said the buzzword was "experiential".
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
“It is an experiential training that transmits the values and skills required to build a high-performance team,” said Alvaro Solache of workshop organizer TeamTowers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
“We believe Virgin Galactic has strong long-term prospects, supported by a solid backlog and early-mover advantage, coupled with a distinct experiential offering,” wrote analyst Greg Konrad.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
DeShazier is the director of experiential education and affiliate faculty at McCormick Theological Institute, and senior pastor at University Church Chicago in Hyde Park.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 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.
