experiential
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
But when asked why people were seeking out unusual accommodation, he said the buzzword was "experiential".
From BBC • 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
We want to find out through experiential and, uh, sometimes stunt-based journalism.
From Slate • Apr. 5, 2026
They return again and again to the phenomenon of experiential change, such as the way that memories may seem accurate or false depending on one’s vantage, or when something original is mistaken for its simulacrum.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
I know what a king was, Earth’s own history is full of them, but I had no experiential feel for privilege—no tact.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
