Entry Word: experimental

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 made or done as an experiment <an experimental procedure for patients suffering from leukemia>

Synonyms pilot, trial

Related Words developmental, investigative, preparatory; preliminary, provisional, temporary, tentative; conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, theoretical (also theoretic); untested, untried; unproved, unproven

Near Antonyms accepted, established, standard; tested, tried; advanced, developed; proved, proven; conclusive, decisive, definitive, final, permanent

2 based on observation or experience <asserted that experimental knowledge is vastly superior to idle speculation and theorizing> — see empirical