experience

experience — noun

1. the practical skill or understanding you build up through repeatedly doing a job

1.nounA2
Definition

the practical skill or understanding you build up through repeatedly doing a job, taking part in an activity, or working in a field, as opposed to what you learn from books or classes.

Example

Hao gained valuable experience working as a junior chef in a busy kitchen.

collocation: gain experience + working as + [job]

The job advertisement asks for at least three years of teaching experience.

collocation: [number] years of [job] experience

Common collocations
  • gain experience
  • have experience in/of
  • years of experience
  • previous experience
  • practical experience
  • work experience
  • learn from experience
Synonyms
  • practice

    focuses on repeated action rather than accumulated knowledge

  • know-how

    informal, emphasises practical skill in a specific area

  • expertise

    higher level of skill, implies deep specialised knowledge

Antonyms
  • inexperience

    lack of practice or knowledge in a particular area

Grammar Patterns

experience + in/of + doing something

experience + as + noun phrase

Usage Note

Uncountable in this sense — do not say 'an experience' when referring to skill or knowledge. 'An experience' refers to a single event (see sense 3).

Common Mistakes

I have many experiences in marketing.
I have a lot of experience in marketing.
When meaning skill/knowledge, 'experience' is uncountable.
She has five years experiences.
She has five years of experience.
No plural -s when referring to accumulated knowledge.

2. the total set of events and situations you have lived through in your life or ca

2.nounB1
Definition

the total set of events and situations you have lived through in your life or career, which shape your worldview and affect how you react to different circumstances.

Example

From his own experience, Stefan knew that changing jobs can be very stressful.

phrase: from [possessive] own experience

Rachel's experience as a nurse taught her to stay calm in emergencies.

Common collocations
  • from my experience
  • past experience
  • life experience
  • share an experience
  • draw on experience
Synonyms
  • background

    more formal, often used in CVs or professional contexts

  • history

    can imply a record of events over a longer period

Grammar Patterns

experience + of + noun phrase

past experiences

from + possessive + experience

Usage Note

Often used with possessives ('my experience', 'her experience') or 'from experience' to show that a person's life events are the source of a belief or opinion.

Common Mistakes

According to my experience, hard work pays.
From my experience, hard work pays off.
'According to' is used with sources of information, not personal experience.
I want to share you my experience.
I want to share my experience with you.
'Share' needs 'with' before the person.

3. a single event, situation, or activity that you personally live through, leaving

3.nounB1
Definition

a single event, situation, or activity that you personally live through, leaving an emotional or mental impression on you.

Example

Visiting the Great Wall was an unforgettable experience for the whole class.

pattern: an + adjective + experience

Lucía had a frightening experience when her bike chain snapped on the mountain road.

Common collocations
  • have an experience
  • unforgettable experience
  • shared experience
  • frightening experience
  • life-changing experience
Synonyms
  • event

    more neutral, lacks the emotional or personal dimension

  • incident

    often suggests something negative or noteworthy

  • encounter

    emphasises meeting or coming across something unexpectedly

Grammar Patterns

an + adjective + experience

experience + of + noun/gerund

Usage Note

Countable in this sense — you can talk about 'two experiences' when referring to separate events. Distinguish from sense 1, where 'experience' is uncountable and means skill, not a specific event.

Common Mistakes

I had a very good experience in my last job.' (ambiguous — means skill or event?)
I gained good experience in my last job.' for skill, OR 'I had a good experience in my last job.' for one positive event.
We experienced an amazing experience.
We had an amazing experience.
Avoid using 'experience' as both verb and noun in the same sentence.

4. the way a particular activity, service, or event feels to the person taking part

4.nounB2
Definition

the way a particular activity, service, or event feels to the person taking part in it, including all the sensory, emotional, and practical aspects.

Example

The airline improved the customer experience by offering free Wi-Fi on all flights.

collocation: customer experience

Naoko enjoyed the museum experience because the exhibits were hands-on and interactive.

Common collocations
  • customer experience
  • user experience
  • dining experience
  • shopping experience
  • overall experience
  • seamless experience
Synonyms
  • impression

    focuses on the immediate feeling rather than the whole process

  • feel

    informal, more subjective and sensory

  • encounter

    more formal, often used in service-industry writing

Grammar Patterns

the + noun + experience

customer/dining/user + experience

Usage Note

Commonly used in business contexts with a preceding noun ('customer experience', 'user experience', 'guest experience'). The definite article 'the' often precedes this compound noun phrase.

Common Mistakes

The experience of user is important.
The user experience is important.
Use the compound noun form without 'of'.
We need to improve experience.
We need to improve the customer experience.
Usually needs a determiner or modifier.

5. a pre-arranged leisure activity that is sold commercially, often as a present —

5.nounB2
Definition

a pre-arranged leisure activity that is sold commercially, often as a present — examples include a cookery workshop, a hot-air balloon trip, or a spa session.

Example

For his birthday, Rachel gave Sahil a hot-air balloon experience over the countryside.

pattern: give + someone + [type] + experience

The company sells gift experiences such as chocolate-making workshops and spa days.

collocation: gift experience

Common collocations
  • gift experience
  • experience voucher
  • buy an experience
  • book an experience
  • experience gift
Synonyms
  • activity

    broader, not specifically commercial or gift-related

  • treat

    more general, can refer to any enjoyable thing given to someone

Grammar Patterns

buy/give + someone + an experience

experience + voucher/gift

Usage Note

Primarily British English in this commercial sense. In American English, 'experience gift' or 'activity gift' is more common. The activity is typically pre-paid and booked for a specific date.

Idioms

put something down to experience

idiom

to decide that a failure, loss, or unpleasant event should be treated as something you can learn from rather than something to feel bad about.

We lost the match, but we will put it down to experience and train harder next season.

Tuan's first business failed, but he put the loss down to experience and started again.

experience — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe being affected by something, but they differ in scope and tone. 'Experience' is the most neutral and general: you can experience joy, pain, change, or difficulty. 'Go through' is slightly more informal and often emphasises a difficult or challenging process — you go through a divorce, an illness, or a tough training programme. 'Undergo' is more formal and specific to medical procedures or significant transformations: a patient undergoes surgery, or a company undergoes restructuring. 'Feel' is limited to emotions and physical sensations and cannot be used for situations or events — you feel happy, nervous, or tired, but you do not 'feel a merger' or 'feel a recession'. 'Encounter' suggests meeting something for the first time or unexpectedly, often with a hint of challenge: you encounter a problem, a new culture, or resistance. For everyday use covering a broad range of situations, 'experience' is the safest and most natural choice.

go through ↗undergo ↗feel ↗encounter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in my experience
  • from experience
  • by experience

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'experience' comes from Latin 'experientia' (a trial, proof, or experiment), formed from 'experiri' (to try, test), which combines 'ex-' (out of) with a root related to 'periculum' (danger, trial). It entered English through Old French 'experience' in the 14th century. The original meaning was 'observation as the source of knowledge', a sense that remains central today. The verb form developed later, around the 16th century, shifting from 'to test or try' to 'to undergo or feel personally'. The commercial 'gift experience' sense (noun sense 5) is a 21st-century development.