experimental
adjective
ex·per·i·men·tal
ik-ˌsper-ə-ˈmen-tᵊl 
also -ˌspir-
1
: of, relating to, or based on experience or experiment
2
a
: serving the ends of or used as a means of experimentation
an experimental school
b
: relating to or having the characteristics of experiment : tentative
still in the experimental stage
Examples of experimental in a Sentence
The fuel is being used on an experimental basis.
an experimental procedure for patients suffering from leukemia
Recent Examples on the Web
Scientific evidence on sleeping with socks is sparse, but one small experimental study offers some insight.
—
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Together, uncertainty and hope keep limerence alive, as experimental psychologist Dorothy Tennov, PhD, explained in her seminal work, Love and Limerence.
—Amanda McCracken, SELF, 3 Feb. 2026
But there was no unanimous agreement that social media harms adolescents, said Jose Cesar Perales, a professor in experimental psychology at the University of Granada.
—Reuters
wire Service, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
In a more humorous vein, Flann O’Brien, best known for his experimental comic novels At Swim-Two-Birds (1939) and The Third Policeman (1940), frequently alluded to Proust in his newspaper columns for The Irish Times.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for experimental
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Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Together, uncertainty and hope keep limerence alive, as experimental psychologist Dorothy Tennov, PhD, explained in her seminal work, Love and Limerence.
—Amanda McCracken, SELF, 3 Feb. 2026
But there was no unanimous agreement that social media harms adolescents, said Jose Cesar Perales, a professor in experimental psychology at the University of Granada.
—Reuters
wire Service, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
In a more humorous vein, Flann O’Brien, best known for his experimental comic novels At Swim-Two-Birds (1939) and The Third Policeman (1940), frequently alluded to Proust in his newspaper columns for The Irish Times.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for experimental
Cite this Entry
“Experimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/experimental. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
experimental
adjective
ex·per·i·men·tal
ik-ˌsper-ə-ˈment-ᵊl
1
a
: of, relating to, or based on experience or experiment
experimental evidence
b
: subjected to the condition that is different from normal for a factor being tested in an experiment
the experimental group
2
: relating to or having the characteristics of experiment : tentative sense 1
still in the experimental stage
Medical Definition
experimental
adjective
ex·per·i·men·tal
ik-ˌsper-ə-ˈment-ᵊl also -ˌspir-
1
: of, relating to, or based on experience or experiment
2
: founded on or derived from experiment
the heart of the experimental method is the direct control of the thing studied—B. F. Skinner
B. F. Skinner3
of a disease
: intentionally produced especially in laboratory animals for the purpose of study
experimental diabetes
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