experimentalist

American  

[ik-sper-uh-ment-uhl-ist] / ɪkˌspɛr əˈmɛnt əl ɪst /

noun

1. a person who enjoys experimenting or trying new things, especially in the arts.

2. a scientist whose research relies on experiments or who is skilled in designing and conducting them.

3. a person who subscribes to philosophical empiricism.

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adjective

1. fond of experimenting or trying new things, especially in the arts.

2. of or relating to a scientific or philosophical emphasis on experiment or experience rather than theory.

Example Sentences

But their emphasis here presents Man Ray, who was a talented portrait photographer, as an experimentalist chasing rather than creating imagery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025

Of course, many artists before her have dabbled in the avant-garde deconstruction of the songwriting craft — fellow experimentalist Juana Molina comes to mind.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2025

So does De Keersmaeker, a respected experimentalist based in Brussels, who has turned to Bach several times over the course of her career.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2024

However, in the particles examined, the shape of the cluster depends on how strongly the orientation of the particles influences their propulsion speed -- which can be stipulated by the experimentalist.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2023

Then, in February, a gifted young Brazilian experimentalist named Cesare M. G. Lattes arrived in Berkeley.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik