experience

1 of 2

noun

ex·​pe·​ri·​ence ik-ˈspir-ē-ən(t)s How to pronounce experience (audio)
1
a
: direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge
b
: the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation
2
a
: practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity
b
: the length of such participation
has 10 years' experience in the job
3
: something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through
4
a
: the conscious events that make up an individual life
b
: the events that make up the conscious past of a community or nation or humankind generally
5
: the act or process of directly perceiving events or reality

experience

2 of 2

verb

experienced; experiencing

transitive verb

1
: to have experience of : undergo
experienced severe hardships as a child
2
: to learn by experience (see experience entry 1)
I have experienced that a landscape and the sky unfold the deepest beautyNathaniel Hawthorne

Examples of experience in a Sentence

Noun Human experience is the ultimate source and justification for all knowledge. Experience itself has accumulated in human memory and culture, gradually producing the methods of intelligence called "reason" and "science." John Shook, Free Inquiry, April/May 2008
Almost as charismatic as the ivory-bill, the California condor passed through a near-death experience and is today regaining a tentative foothold in parts of its erstwhile range. John Terborgh, New York Review of Books, 26 Apr. 2007
Many of his students have plenty of life experience but … never mastered the academic stuff at school. Daryl Crimp, New Zealand Geographic, March/April 2007
In the energetic, speculative, socially mobile urban society of the early 18th century, maternal impression, the idea that a child's appearance was directed by the mother's experiences, found advocates among London physicians as easily as it did among myth-fed country fold. Miranda Seymour, New York Times Book Review, 17 June 2007
Literary London was not merely a great gathering of experiences for [Samuel] Johnson, but a veritable public stew of good words. Andrew O'Hagan, New York Review, 27 Apr. 2006
The best way to learn is by experience. We need someone with experience. She gained a lot of experience at that job. I know that from personal experience. She has five years' experience as a computer programmer. He wrote about his experiences as a pilot. That experience is one I'd rather forget! She had a frightening experience. Verb Performing a risk-reward analysis can often clarify decisions. If the risk of a failed marriage is that you may have to experience heartache and an expensive divorce, you'd better think carefully. If the risk of a bad ski run is that you'll die, you'd better think even more carefully about what you'll gain by taking that risk. Laurence Gonzales, National Geographic Adventure, March 2008
Of course, many reporters do their best to be accurate, but they must conform to the conventions of their craft, and there is always slippage between their choice of words and the nature of an event as experienced or perceived by others. Robert Darnton, New York Review of Books, 12 June 2008
I spent 20-some years as a foreign correspondent and experienced my share of harrowing travel.  … And unlike the brave foreign correspondents that you see on TV or read about …  , I was scared silly. P. J. O'Rourke, Forbes Life, June 2008
That was one of the worst days I've ever experienced. The patient has been experiencing pain in her left shoulder.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
What happens behind the scenes on the Wordle team For players, the Wordle experience is fairly simple. Saira Mueller, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Sewell and Billie Piper talked about their filming experience at the Next on Netflix event at the Picturehouse Central cinema and cultural space in the British capital, while Anderson shared some thoughts in a video message. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 In addition to Walker, there’s a veteran whose age raises questions about his fitness for office, a small-town mayor who outperforms his minimal name recognition and a celebrity whose media savvy and charm make up for his lack of experience. Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Español Playing for the first time at Miami’s Kaseya Center last month was a once in a lifetime experience for Morat. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2024 The tumor turned out to be benign, but the experience left me profoundly shaken. Sam Apple, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 What was your experience like making Rock Love? Rock Love was very experimental. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 The two also talk about Twigs’s forthcoming album, inspired by her nightclub experiences in Prague while filming her first movie, The Crow, a Rupert Sanders film slated for release in June. Chelsea Daniel, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2024 From eco-friendly initiatives to engaging with local communities, the sector is aligning with the global mandate for environmental stewardship while offering immersive, culturally rich experiences. Jim Dobson, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Verb
Anyone can have a learning disability, but there are certain factors that a child can experience that can place them at a higher risk of having a learning disability. Suzie Glassman, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 For any location on the planet, there is a chance to experience totality every 375 years. Amy Huschka, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 Regardless of one's gender, anyone who experiences a migraine is anxious to get rid of it. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 According to the bureau’s analysis of all counties, about 60% (1,876) of U.S. counties gained population from 2022 to 2023, an increase from the 52% of counties (1,649) that experienced population growth between 2021 and 2022. Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Many people who had never experienced the era of LAN parties also responded with excitement. Steffi Cao, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Areas of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine will experience totality — the moon will completely block out the sun's light for several minutes in these locations. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 Everyone experiences passing moments of worry, but with O.C.D. such thoughts become so invasive that the person experiencing them finds compulsions in order to cope. The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024 These challenges to racial-justice programs will have a lasting impact on the nation’s ability to address the vast disparities that Black people experience. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'experience.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin experientia "testing of possibilities, participation in events, skill gained by practice," noun derivative of experient-, experiens, present participle of experīrī "to put to the test, attempt, have experience of, undergo," from ex- ex- entry 1 + -perīrī, from a presumed verbal base *per- "test, risk," perhaps going back to Indo-European *pr̥h3-i-

Note: See note at peril entry 1.

Verb

verbal derivative of experience entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of experience was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near experience

Cite this Entry

“Experience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/experience. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

experience

1 of 2 noun
ex·​pe·​ri·​ence ik-ˈspir-ē-ən(t)s How to pronounce experience (audio)
1
: the actual living through an event or series of events
learn by experience
2
a
: skill or knowledge gained by actually doing or feeling a thing
a job that requires someone with experience
had gained a lot of experience by the end of the season
b
: the amount of such skill or knowledge
has five years' experience
3
: something one has actually done or lived through
my experiences as a riverboat pilot

experience

2 of 2 verb
experienced; experiencing
: to have experience of : undergo
experienced many hardships as a child

More from Merriam-Webster on experience

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