experience

Main Entry:: ¹ex·pe·ri·ence
Pronunciation:: \ik-ˈspir-ē-ən(t)s\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin experientia act of trying, from experient-, experiens, present participle of experiri to try, from ex- + -periri (akin to periculum attempt) — more at fear
Date:: 14th century

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 participation2 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 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 generally4: something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through5: the act or process of directly perceiving events or reality

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