experiment

1 of 2

noun

ex·​per·​i·​ment ik-ˈsper-ə-mənt How to pronounce experiment (audio)
also
-ˈspir- How to pronounce experiment (audio)
1
a
: test, trial
make another experiment of his suspicionWilliam 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

2 of 2

verb

ex·​per·​i·​ment ik-ˈsper-ə-ˌment How to pronounce experiment (audio)
 also  -ˈspir
experimented; experimenting; experiments

intransitive verb

: to carry out experiments : try out a new procedure, idea, or activity
experimentation
ik-ˌsper-ə-mən-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce experiment (audio)
-ˌmen-
 also  -ˌspir-
noun
experimenter
ik-ˈsper-ə-ˌmen-tər How to pronounce experiment (audio)
 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
Both research and experiments in organizations show that playful environments encourage free-flowing ideas and positive work atmospheres, leading to original solutions and a more engaged workforce. Duncan Wardle, Harvard Business Review, 16 Sep. 2024 Life Advice Oliver Munday for NPR A popular social media experiment called the no-buy challenge encourages people to temporarily purchase fewer non-essential items. Brittney Melton, NPR, 16 Sep. 2024
Verb
Recently, she’s been experimenting with HeyGen, a video AI avatar tool that allows users to film content in one language, and automatically translate the footage to other languages. Jenny Wang, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 In addition to new color combination, the brand experimented with handwoven raffia and a Mosaico crochet in raffia and leather, which shed a new, summery light on the Secret bag design, available in different sizes. WWD, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for experiment 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'experiment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of experiment was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near experiment

Cite this Entry

“Experiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/experiment. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

experiment

1 of 2 noun
ex·​per·​i·​ment ik-ˈsper-ə-mənt How to pronounce experiment (audio)
: test entry 1 sense 1, trial entry 1 sense 1
especially : a procedure or operation carried out under controlled conditions in order to discover something, to test a hypothesis, or to serve as an example

experiment

2 of 2 verb
ex·​per·​i·​ment ik-ˈsper-ə-ˌment How to pronounce experiment (audio)
: to make experiments
experimentation noun

Medical Definition

experiment

1 of 2 noun
ex·​per·​i·​ment
ik-ˈsper-ə-mənt also -ˈspir-
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

2 of 2 intransitive verb
ex·​per·​i·​ment -ˌment How to pronounce experiment (audio)
: to carry out experiments

More from Merriam-Webster on experiment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!