experimental
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, derived from, or founded on experiment.
an experimental science.
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of the nature of an experiment; tentative.
The new program is still in an experimental stage.
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functioning as an experiment or used for experimentation.
an experimental airplane.
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based on or derived from experience; empirical.
experimental knowledge.
noun
adjective
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relating to, based on, or having the nature of experiment
an experimental study
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based on or derived from experience; empirical
experimental evidence
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tending to experiment
an experimental artist
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tentative or provisional
an experimental rule in football
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 festival, which took place March 27 and 28, featured over 40 short films, animation and experimental works.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
Although the possibilities are remarkable, most DNA robots today remain in early experimental stages and are better understood as proof of concept rather than practical tools.
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
AstraZeneca reported mixed results for its experimental drug efzimfotase alfa but expects $3 billion to $5 billion in annual peak sales.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
The experimental drug is currently in three late-stage clinical trials for kidney diseases, and Biogen believes that Apellis has the commercial infrastructure and talent to support that launch if felzartamab is approved.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
One encyclopedia had a sentence of praise for us: “The common rat is highly valued as an experimental animal in medical research due to his toughness, intelligence, versatility and biological similarity to man.”
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
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.
