experiment
4 synonyms and 0 antonyms for experiment, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A controlled test carried out to check a hypothesis or discover something new.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use experiment
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Latin experimentum, "a trial, test," from experiri ("to try, test") — related to "experience" and "expert."
Full origin of experiment →Frequently asked questions
What does “experiment” mean?
The word “experiment” means a controlled test carried out to check a hypothesis or discover something new. In plain terms, a test to find something out, or the act of trying something new to see what happens.
How do you pronounce “experiment”?
“Experiment” is pronounced ihk-SPEHR-ih-muhnt (/ɪkˈspɛɹ.ə.mənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “experiment” in a sentence?
Here is “experiment” used in a sentence: “The class conducted an experiment to see how plants grow in the dark.”
What part of speech is “experiment”?
Depending on how it is used, “experiment” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “experiment” come from?
The word “experiment” comes from Latin. From Latin experimentum, "a trial, test," from experiri ("to try, test") — related to "experience" and "expert.".
Is “experiment” a common word?
“Experiment” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “experiment” have?
“Experiment” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a controlled test carried out to check a hypothesis or discover something new.
What is the difference between an experiment and a trial?
An experiment is a controlled test carried out to check a hypothesis or discover something new, while a trial usually tests something that already exists to see how well it works, such as a product trial or a clinical trial. The words overlap in science, where a clinical trial is a kind of experiment involving treatments in people.
Do you say "experiment on" or "experiment with"?
"Experiment on" is used when someone or something is the subject of a test: "Scientists experimented on mice." "Experiment with" means to try something out to see what happens: "She experimented with new recipes." Using "on" for people can sound sinister, so choose the preposition carefully.
What is a controlled experiment?
A controlled experiment is a test in which conditions are kept the same for all groups except the single factor being studied, usually by comparing a test group with a control group. Keeping everything else constant lets researchers be more confident that the factor being tested caused any difference in the results.
What is the difference between an experiment and a test?
A test checks the quality, performance, or presence of something against an expected standard: "an eye test," "a spelling test." An experiment is carried out to check a hypothesis or discover something new, so the outcome is genuinely unknown in advance. All experiments involve testing, but not every test is an experiment.