trial and error

American  

noun

1. experimentation or investigation in which various methods or means are tried and faulty ones eliminated in order to find the correct solution or to achieve the desired result or effect.

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trial and error British  

noun

1. a method of discovery, solving problems, etc, based on practical experiment and experience rather than on theory

   he learned to cook by trial and error

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trial and error Cultural  

1. To “proceed by trial and error” is to experiment, rejecting what does not work and adopting what does.

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trial and error Idioms  

1. An attempt to accomplish something by trying various means until the correct one is found. for example, The only way to solve this problem is by trial and error. The error here alludes to the failed means or attempts, which are discarded until the right way is found. [c. 1800]

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Other Word Forms

• trial-and-error
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of trial and error

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

“There’s a little bit of trial and error as you go with that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026

And this is not the first Ebola outbreak the world has seen; there are many individuals and organizations who have responded to Ebola crises before and who, through trial and error, largely understand what works.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026

"The struggle always is to get more than two of the three to be good, and this is where trial and error only gets you so far," Simmons said.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

Dr Khashayar Kazemzadeh, a lecturer in transport planning at The University of Manchester, thinks governments around the world are still in a trial and error phase here.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Like anyone new to tradecraft, he learned by trial and error.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin