experimental

adjective

ik-ˌsper-ə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce experimental (audio)
Definition of experimentalnext
1
as in developmental
made or done as an experiment an experimental procedure for patients suffering from leukemia

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in empirical
based on observation or experience asserted that experimental knowledge is vastly superior to idle speculation and theorizing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of experimental Participants in an experimental study may not exactly represent the full variety of people who might someday receive a treatment that is eventually approved. — Mark Louie Ramos, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 Call for Me is launching as an experimental tool for US users over 18 with a Google AI subscription. — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026 Edited from a pool of 50,000 individual shots, the experimental film took two years to complete. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026 For now, technicians at Google are stress-testing the first Project Suncatcher experimental satellite in a lab, ahead of loading it onto a SpaceX Falcon 9 for launch on October 1. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for experimental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for experimental
  1. developmental
  2. empirical
  3. investigative
  4. observational
  5. preliminary
  6. objective
  7. pilot
Adjective
  • Just before the child turned 2, doctors estimated their developmental age to be around 6 weeks.
    — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Head Start is required to serve at least two meals per day to the young children who attend these schools, as well as offer speech therapy and other kinds of developmental support and health services when needed.
    — Alexander Thim, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of developmental
Adjective
  • Only 2 percent of global investments have gone to circular businesses, according to estimates in the Circularity Gap Report Finance in 2025, the world’s first empirical study that quantified the financial streams to circular business models.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers have hypothesized that quantum effects are at play in a variety of biological phenomena — including the magnetic sense that helps birds navigate and, more speculatively, human consciousness — with varying degrees of empirical support.
    — Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of empirical
Adjective
  • Those new details were included in the lengthy confidential investigative report compiled by Cornell and reviewed by ABC News.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Many of the 175 findings in the report will not come as a surprise to those who have followed the flurry of lawsuits, investigative news reports and city and county after-action reviews.
    — Evan Bush, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of investigative
Adjective
  • Eleanor envisioned an observational film in the vein of Frederick Wiseman, and the doc is narrated by actress Diane Lane, a longtime Coppola family collaborator, who reads Eleanor’s contemporaneous diary entries from twenty years ago.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
  • My research focuses on finding links between fiber and different diseases in observational data and figuring out how to test them in a clinical trial.
    — Jean Liew, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of observational
Adjective
  • Fabricating standardized modules The contract builds on a preliminary pact agreed between the two firms in August 2025.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Some studies suggest fasting may also help prevent cancer or boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy, though much of that research is still preliminary.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of preliminary
Adjective
  • Use the objective points as ways to innovate on your idea and deliver a product that meets the needs of your audience.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Something else to consider is that teacher evaluation and student grades are not objective criteria.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of objective
Adjective
  • The result is a system that, in the long term, could carry out sub hunting autonomously, but in the short term acts as an onboard co-pilot, freeing up human operators while doubling sonobuoy processing capacity.
    — David Szondy August 12, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Lemmon, 31, and her co-pilot Bland, 52, were killed in the crash, along with Barker’s assistant Baker, 29, and his bodyguard Still, 25.
    — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of pilot

Browse Nearby Words

experiment
experimental
experimentation
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Cite this Entry

“Experimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/experimental. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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