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Synonyms

experimentation

American  
[ik-sper-uh-men-tey-shuhn, -muhn-] / ɪkˌspɛr ə mɛnˈteɪ ʃən, -mən- /

noun

  1. the act, process, practice, or an instance of making experiments.

experimentation British  
/ ɪkˌspɛrɪmɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act, process, or practice of experimenting

"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

  • experimentative adjective
  • proexperimentation adjective

Etymology

Origin of experimentation

First recorded in 1665–75; experiment + -ation

Vocabulary lists containing experimentation

Scientific Inquiry - Middle School and High School

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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.

Developing new medicines often takes years, sometimes decades, of experimentation, with no guarantee of success.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

In reality, replication studies require significant time, resources, and careful experimentation, and meaningful scientific questions do not become outdated so quickly.

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

That mix of artistic experimentation and economic opportunity is exactly what Fahey and Lawler say the fair is meant to support.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

The mistakes you make at 20 are interpreted as experimentation rather than incompetence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

I also kept arguing for the value of experimentation.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

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.