trial and error
- 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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Origin of trial and error
First recorded in 1800–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for trial and error
Contemporary Examples
Rock of Ages, on the other hand, was recorded at the perfect moment: after the trial-and-error period, before the decline.
From there, we subjected ourselves to a lot of trial-and-error.
Historical Examples
Its use avoids the wastefulness of the trial-and-error method.
Sound Military DecisionU.s. Naval War College
How may we recognize this potential teacher without resorting to a clumsy, time-wasting, trial-and-error method?
Vocational Guidance for GirlsMarguerite Stockman Dickson
No trial-and-error, no baby hesitation with hand poised—just a sudden assured, controlled action.
The Short LifeFrancis Donovan
trial and error
- a method of discovery, solving problems, etc, based on practical experiment and experience rather than on theoryhe learned to cook by trial and error
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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
trial and error
To “proceed by trial and error” is to experiment, rejecting what does not work and adopting what does.
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with trial and error
trial and error
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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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.