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

Reaching this point has been a grind, according to Conch and Huawei, requiring substantial trial and error to get the model to work.

From The Wall Street Journal

Reinforcement learning: A technique that teaches an A.I. model to find the best result by trial and error, receiving rewards or punishments from an algorithm based on its results.

From New York Times

Treatment can be trial and error, but I’m working all the while to understand a patient’s goals and connect them to meaningful activities that build on their strengths to help them with routine tasks.

From Seattle Times

And even the ones that are labeled “nondrowsy” can still cause some sleepiness for some people, Tirumalasetty said, so it may take some trial and error to find the allergy medication that works for you.

From Seattle Times

While this has the potential to speed the process, it boils down to essentially a trial and error method of training.

From Washington Post