ex·per·i·ment
ik-ˈsper-ə-mənt
also
-ˈspir-
1
b
: a tentative procedure or policy
The company is trying an experiment in staggered starting times.
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
ex·per·i·ment
ik-ˈsper-ə-ˌment
also -ˈspir
experimented; experimenting; experiments
: to carry out experiments : try out a new procedure, idea, or activity
ex·per·i·men·ta·tion
(ˌ)ek-,
-ˌmen‧-
plural -s
1
: the act, process, or practice of making experiments
a tendency among lay critics to confine experimentation to scientists in the laboratory—John Dewey
2
: an instance of experimentation : experiment
an outgrowth and culmination of numerous experimentations and inventions—William Chomsky
Cite this Entry
“Experiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/experiment. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.
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