experiment

noun

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ex·per·i·ment | \ ik-ˈsper-ə-mənt

also -ˈspir-

Definition of experiment

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : test, trial make another experiment of his suspicion— William Shakespeare

b : a tentative procedure or policy

c : an operation or procedure carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover an unknown effect or law, to test or establish a hypothesis, or to illustrate a known law

2 obsolete : experience

3 : the process of testing : experimentation

experiment

verb

ex·per·i·ment | \ ik-ˈsper-ə-ˌment

also -ˈspir \

experimented; experimenting; experiments

Definition of experiment (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to carry out experiments : try out a new procedure, idea, or activity

Other Words from experiment Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing experiment Learn More About experiment

Other Words from experiment

Verb

experimentation \ ik-ˌsper-ə-mən-ˈtā-shən

, -ˌmen- also -ˌspir- \ noun

experimenter \ ik-ˈsper-ə-ˌmen-tər

also -ˈspir- \ noun

Examples of experiment in a Sentence

Noun Students will carry out simple laboratory experiments. They did some experiments with magnets. These theories have not yet been confirmed by experiment. an experiment in living more frugally the city's experiment with a longer school year

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But during that experiment at Baksan, called the Soviet-American Gallium Experiment (SAGE), scientists observed something peculiar. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 11 July 2022 This experiment and others like it leave an unanswered question, though: Does negative self-talk slow you down, or does positive self-talk speed you up? — Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 7 July 2022 In that experiment as well as two others, this approach increased college enrollment and improved grades among socially disadvantaged students—closing the achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged kids by about a third. — Brennan Barnard, Forbes, 6 July 2022 Since that experiment began, the covid-19 pandemic has made employees’ wellbeing and mental health a top concern for companies. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2022 Flimsy answers are likely to be ridiculed and cause the quizmaster to have a tantrum, before an expert reveals the true answer and a provides a humorous demonstration or experiment. — Patrick Frater, Variety, 11 Apr. 2022 For that experiment, the researchers asked more detailed background questions, including what environment the participants currently lived in. — New York Times, 30 Mar. 2022 The decades-long experiment, called the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, is known internationally as one of the darkest moments in medical history. — al, 14 July 2022 Shops experiment with new toppings and drinks at an incredible pace, expanding the boba canon quickly. — Serena Dai, Bon Appétit, 13 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Milan was hit hard by the pandemic, and that caused delays in finishing the home — which, in turn, gave Lissoni more time to experiment and redesign. — New York Times, 24 Mar. 2022 In the absence of movement on transit reform from Beacon Hill, some lawmakers said the state’s transit agencies don’t need to wait for a legislative mandate to experiment with discounted fares. — Taylor Dolven, BostonGlobe.com, 15 July 2022 After your first attempt, feel free to experiment with other recipes. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 14 July 2022 Perhaps the biggest change that AI image generators will bring is dramatically expanding the number of people able to generate and experiment with art and illustration. — Wired, 14 July 2022 Coaches might also use data from sleep trackers to help clients experiment with going to bed or waking up at different times. — Sandra Scheinbaum, Forbes, 12 July 2022 Enlarge / BMW continues to experiment with subscriptions in markets like the UK and South Korea, but not in the US. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 12 July 2022 With that in mind, researchers Takashi Yamakawa of NTT Social Informatics Laboratories and Mark Zhandry of NTT Research and Princeton University decided to experiment with a specific search problem, introduced in 2005 by Oded Regev. — Quanta Magazine, 11 July 2022 Quantities and applications vary by recipe, so prepare to experiment a bit for a truly seamless substitute. — Julie Harans, Bon Appétit, 7 July 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'experiment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for experiment

Noun

Middle English, "testing, proof, remedy," borrowed from Anglo-French esperiment, borrowed from Latin experīmentum "testing, experience, proof," from experīrī "to put to the test, attempt, have experience of, undergo" + -mentum -ment — more at experience entry 1

Verb

verbal derivative of experiment entry 1

Learn More About experiment

Dictionary Entries Near experiment

experiential time

experiment

experimental

Statistics for experiment

Last Updated

30 Jul 2022

Cite this Entry

“Experiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/experiment. Accessed 10 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for experiment

experiment

noun

ex·per·i·ment | \ ik-ˈsper-ə-mənt

Kids Definition of experiment

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a trial or test made to find out about something

experiment

verb

ex·per·i·ment | \ ik-ˈsper-ə-ˌment

experimented; experimenting

Kids Definition of experiment (Entry 2 of 2)

: to try or test a new way, idea, or activity : to make experiments

experiment

noun

ex·per·i·ment | \ ik-ˈsper-ə-mənt also -ˈspir- \

Medical Definition of experiment

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a procedure carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover an unknown effect or law, to test or establish a hypothesis, or to illustrate a known law

2 : the process of testing : experimentation

experiment

intransitive verb

ex·per·i·ment | \ -ˌment

Medical Definition of experiment (Entry 2 of 2)

: to carry out experiments

Other Words from experiment

experimentation \ ik-ˌsper-ə-mən-ˈtā-shən, -ˌmen- also -ˌspir-

\ noun

experimenter \ -ˈsper-ə-ˌment-ər also -ˈspir-

\ noun