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Synonyms

inexperience

American  
[in-ik-speer-ee-uhns] / ˌɪn ɪkˈspɪər i əns /

noun

  1. lack of experience.

  2. lack of knowledge, skill, or wisdom gained from experience.

inexperience British  
/ ˌɪnɪkˈspɪərɪəns /

noun

  1. lack of experience or of the knowledge and understanding derived from experience

"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

  • inexperienced adjective

Etymology

Origin of inexperience

From the Late Latin word inexperientia, dating back to 1590–1600. See in- 3, experience

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.

Compensating for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden's government.

From Barron's • Jan. 1, 2026

St. John Bosco’s inexperience at quarterback and the absence of an elite running back also were exposed.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2025

But Mamdani’s speech was not the ritual of unity and healing they wanted and expected, and they were reduced to mumbled excuses about the microphone, his tone of voice and his inexperience.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

England's collective inexperience in Australian conditions will fuel questions over their limited preparation time.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

By the time I realized what I was doing and thought about my inexperience in this particular art, I was already at the top of the branches and plucking coconuts.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah

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.