experience (n.)

late 14c., "observation as the source of knowledge; actual observation; an event which has affected one," from Old French esperience "experiment, proof, experience" (13c.), from Latin experientia "a trial, proof, experiment; knowledge gained by repeated trials," from experientem (nominative experiens) "experienced, enterprising, active, industrious," present participle of experiri "to try, test," from ex "out of" (see ex-) + peritus "experienced, tested," from PIE *per-yo-, suffixed form of root *per- (3) "to try, risk." Meaning "state of having done something and gotten handy at it" is from late 15c.

also from late 14c.

experience (v.)

1530s, "to test, try, learn by practical trial or proof;" see experience (n.). Sense of "feel, undergo" first recorded 1580s. Related: Experienced; experiences; experiencing.

also from 1530s

Entries linking to experience

experienced (adj.)

"having experience, taught by practice, skillful through doing," 1570s, past-participle adjective from experience (v.).

experiential (adj.)

"relating to or having experience, derived from experience, empirical," 1640s (implied in experientially), from Latin experientia "knowledge gained by testing or trials" (see experience (n.)) + -al (1).

See all related words (7) >

Trends of experience

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

feel

Old English felan "to touch or have a sensory experience of; perceive, sense (something)," in late Old English "have a mental perception," from Proto-Germanic *foljanan (source also of Old Saxon gifolian, Old Frisian fela, Dutch voelen, Old High German vuolen, German fühlen "to f

have

Old English habban "to own, possess; be subject to, experience," from Proto-Germanic *habejanan (source also of Old Norse hafa, Old Saxon hebbjan, Old Frisian habba, German haben, Gothic haban "to have"), from PIE root *kap- "to grasp." Not related to Latin habere, despite simila

receive

c. 1300, receiven, "take into one's possession, accept possession of," also in reference to the sacrament, from Old North French receivre (Old French recoivre) "seize, take hold of, pick up; welcome, accept," from Latin recipere "regain, take back, bring back, carry back, recover

empirical

1560s, originally in medicine, "pertaining to or derived from experience or experiments," from Latin empiricus (n.)..."a physician guided by experience," from Greek empeirikos "experienced," from empeiria "experience; mere experience or practice...In a general sense of "guided by mere experience" from 1757....

empiric

"pertaining to or derived from experience or experiments," c. 1600, from Latin empiricus (n.)..."a physician guided by experience," from Greek empeirikos "experienced," from empeiria "experience; mere experience or practice...Originally a school of ancient physicians who based their practice on experience rather than theory....

expert

early 15c., "person wise through experience," from expert (adj.)....The word reappeared 1825 in the legal sense, "person who, by virtue of special acquired knowledge or experience on a subject...

empiricism

"reliance on direct experience and observation rather than on theory;" 1650s, originally in a medical sense, from empiric...the general sense of "reliance on direct observation rather than theory," especially an undue reliance on mere individual experience...In reference to a philosophical doctrine which regards experience as the only source of knowledge from 1796....positivism or agnosticism or scientific naturalism, it does not dogmatically affirm monism as something with which all experience...

reality

1540s, "quality of being real, objective reality," from French réalité and directly from Medieval Latin realitatem (nominative realitas), from Late Latin realis (see real (adj.)). Also compare realty, which was the older form of the word in the sense of "reality" (mid-15c.). Mean

change

c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),

item

late 14c., originally an adverb, "moreover, in addition," from Latin item (adv.) "likewise, just so, moreover," probably from ita "thus," id "it" (see id) + adverbial ending -tem (compare idem "the same"). The Latin adverb was used to introduce a new fact or statement, and in Fre

Share experience

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/experience

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/experience">Etymology of experience by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of experience. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/experience

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of experience,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/experience.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of experience.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/experience. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of experience.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/experience (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on October 13, 2021

Remove ads >

Trending words

1. autumn
2. amen
3. virgin
4. hospitality
5. teacher
6. pride
7. chaos
8. empathy
9. deluge
10. ensconce

Dictionary entries near experience

expendable

expenditure

expense

expenses

expensive

experience

experienced

experiential

experiment

experimental

experimentation