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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.

Over time, however, observational and experimental evidence has increasingly supported Dudley's view.

From Science Daily

"What could change the dial are experimental studies or evaluations of natural experiments. So evaluating the Australia ban is hugely important because it actually gives us a window on what might be happening."

From Barron's

A key part of the work showed that protecting newborns from RSV in experimental models prevented these immune system shifts altogether.

From Science Daily

England fans could not have hoped for a more entertaining evening at Wembley Stadium - but with Sarina Wiegman resisting the urge to be more experimental, how much did she actually learn from it?

From BBC

For low and intermediate intensities, the theoretical model captures only part of the experimental behavior.

From Science Daily