Experimental — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ik-ˌsper-ə-ˈmen-tᵊl/ ex·per·i·men·tal

Meaning & Definition of Experimental

Experimental (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or based on experience or experiment
  2. serving the ends of or used as a means of experimentation
  3. relating to or having the characteristics of experiment, tentative

Experimental (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. made or done as an experiment

    "an experimental procedure for patients suffering from leukemia"

    similar: developmental, pilot, trial
    related: exploratory, investigative, probative, preliminary, preparatory, provisional, temporary, tentative, conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, theoretical, untested, untried, unproved, unproven
    near: accepted, established, standard, tested, tried, advanced, developed, proved, proven, conclusive, decisive, definitive, final, permanent

  2. based on observation or experience

    "asserted that experimental knowledge is vastly superior to idle speculation and theorizing"

    similar: empirical, existential, experiential, objective, observational
    related: actual, factual, genuine, hard, material, real, accepted, established, tried, tried-and-true, indisputable, undeniable, demonstrable, provable, verifiable
    opposite: nonempirical, theoretical, unempirical
    near: conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, unproven, unsubstantiated, metaphysical, transcendentalist, visionary

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Experimental

The most common words with a similar meaning to Experimental:

developmental, pilot, trial, empirical, existential, experiential, objective, observational

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Experimental

Words with the opposite meaning of Experimental:

nonempirical, theoretical, unempirical

Related Words for Experimental

exploratory, investigative, probative, preliminary, preparatory, provisional, temporary, tentative, conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, theoretical, untested, untried, unproved, unproven, actual, factual, genuine, hard, material, real, accepted, established, tried, tried-and-true, indisputable, undeniable, demonstrable, provable

Near Antonyms of Experimental

accepted, established, standard, tested, tried, advanced, developed, proved, proven, conclusive, decisive, definitive, final, permanent, conjectural, hypothetical, speculative, unproven, unsubstantiated, metaphysical, transcendentalist, visionary

Word Forms of Experimental

Derived words: experimentally (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Experimental

Middle English, borrowed from Medieval Latin experīmentālis, from Latin experīmentum "testing, experience, proof" + -ālis -al:1 experiment:1

First known use: 1526

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Experimental

Words & Phrases Containing Experimental

preexperimental

Frequently Asked Questions about Experimental

What does "Experimental" mean?

"Experimental" means of, relating to, or based on experience or experiment. As an adjective, it is defined as: of, relating to, or based on experience or experiment. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Experimental"?

Other words for "Experimental" include developmental, pilot, trial, empirical, existential, experiential, objective and observational. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Experimental" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Experimental"?

There are 39 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Experimental". Common alternatives include developmental, pilot, trial, empirical, existential, experiential, objective and observational.

What is the opposite of "Experimental"?

Antonyms of "Experimental" include nonempirical, theoretical and unempirical. Near antonyms include accepted, established, standard and tested.

How do you use "Experimental" in a sentence?

Examples of "Experimental" in a sentence: "an experimental procedure for patients suffering from leukemia"; "asserted that experimental knowledge is vastly superior to idle speculation and theorizing".

Is "Experimental" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Experimental" is an adjective.

Is "Experimental" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Experimental" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Experimental"?

"Experimental" is pronounced /ik-ˌsper-ə-ˈmen-tᵊl/ and divided into syllables as ex·per·i·men·tal.