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Synonyms

experiment

American  
[ik-sper-uh-muhnt, ek-sper-uh-ment] / ɪkˈspɛr ə mənt, ɛkˈspɛr əˌmɛnt /

noun

  1. a test, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc..

    a chemical experiment; a teaching experiment; an experiment in living.

  2. the conducting of such operations; experimentation.

    a product that is the result of long experiment.

    Synonyms:
    investigation, research
  3. Obsolete. experience.


verb (used without object)

  1. to try or test, especially in order to discover or prove something.

    to experiment with a new procedure.

experiment British  

noun

  1. a test or investigation, esp one planned to provide evidence for or against a hypothesis: a scientific experiment

  2. the act of conducting such an investigation or test; experimentation; research

  3. an attempt at something new or different; an effort to be original

    a poetic experiment

  4. an obsolete word for 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

verb

  1. (intr) to make an experiment or experiments

"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
experiment Scientific  
/ ĭk-spĕrə-mənt /
  1. A test or procedure carried out under controlled conditions to determine the validity of a hypothesis or make a discovery.

  2. See Note at hypothesis


Related Words

See trial.

Other Word Forms

  • experimentator noun
  • experimenter noun
  • experimentor noun
  • preexperiment noun
  • proexperiment adjective
  • reexperiment verb (used without object)
  • unexperimented adjective

Etymology

Origin of experiment

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English: “proof,” from Latin experīmentum “test, trial,” from experī(rī) “to test, try” ( experience ) + -mentum -ment

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.

“This will be an interesting experiment,” said Craig Johnson of Customer Growth Partners, a Connecticut retail consultant.

From The Wall Street Journal

A viral thought experiment by Citrini Research foretelling mass white-collar unemployment, cratering consumer spending and financial contagion tapped into deep anxieties about the technology both on Wall Street and among the broader public.

From The Wall Street Journal

The team's experiments, reported in Nature, provide an answer.

From Science Daily

This meant that scientists all over the world could replicate experiments using identical cells.

From BBC

After a series of experiments in mice, the team found that diet induced thermogenesis produced almost the same weight loss as constant exposure to five degrees Celsius around the clock.

From Science Daily