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Synonyms

experimental

American  
[ik-sper-uh-men-tl] / ɪkˌspɛr əˈmɛn tl /

adjective

  1. pertaining to, derived from, or founded on experiment.

    an experimental science.

  2. of the nature of an experiment; tentative.

    The new program is still in an experimental stage.

  3. functioning as an experiment or used for experimentation.

    an experimental airplane.

  4. based on or derived from experience; empirical.

    experimental knowledge.


noun

  1. something that is experimental.

experimental British  
/ ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəl /

adjective

  1. relating to, based on, or having the nature of experiment

    an experimental study

  2. based on or derived from experience; empirical

    experimental evidence

  3. tending to experiment

    an experimental artist

  4. tentative or provisional

    an experimental rule in football

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • experimentally adverb
  • nonexperimental adjective
  • nonexperimentally adverb
  • postexperimental adjective
  • preexperimental adjective
  • pseudoexperimental adjective
  • pseudoexperimentally adverb
  • quasi-experimental adjective
  • quasi-experimentally adverb
  • semiexperimental adjective
  • semiexperimentally adverb
  • unexperimental adjective
  • unexperimentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of experimental

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word experīmentālis. See experiment, -al 1

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.

The biotech’s experimental drugs seek to block RAS, halting lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and other tumors in their tracks.

From The Wall Street Journal

If Ventyx’s experimental pills pan out, they would add to Lilly’s portfolio of autoimmune conditions, as well as of obesity and related disorders.

From The Wall Street Journal

The studies focus on a group of experimental pain-relieving compounds that act on mu opioid receptors.

From Science Daily

By targeting Wnt4/β-catenin signaling, the drug pair was able to reverse liver fibrosis in experimental models, offering a promising strategy for a disease that currently lacks approved therapies.

From Science Daily

Researchers at Northwestern University have now provided the first direct experimental evidence that the gut microbiome helps shape differences in brain function across primate species.

From Science Daily