experiment

experiment — noun

1. A planned scientific activity in which you carefully control conditions to disco

1.nounA2
Definition

A planned scientific activity in which you carefully control conditions to discover new facts or check whether an idea is correct.

Example

Constanza and Lisa designed an experiment to test how salt affects plant growth.

collocation: design an experiment

The team ran the experiment three times before they published the results.

Common collocations
  • design an experiment
  • conduct an experiment
  • perform an experiment
  • run an experiment
  • repeat an experiment
  • laboratory experiment
  • controlled experiment
  • experiment on [subject]
  • experiment with [variable]
Synonyms
  • test

    A test can be a single, quick check; an experiment is usually more systematic and controlled.

  • trial

    Trial often refers to testing a product or treatment under real-world conditions before final approval.

  • study

    A study tends to be longer-term and observational rather than an active intervention in controlled conditions.

Grammar Patterns

experiment + on + noun phrase

experiment + with + noun phrase

Usage Note

Commonly paired with verbs such as conduct, perform, run, or carry out. The object of study follows on (experiment on cells) or with (experiment with new materials).

Common Mistakes

The teacher performed a chemistry experiment on the students.
The teacher demonstrated a chemistry experiment for the students.
An experiment is performed on a test subject (cells, animals, or chemicals), not on observers.

2. A new activity, plan, or approach that you attempt in order to find out what res

2.nounB1
Definition

A new activity, plan, or approach that you attempt in order to find out what results it produces, without knowing the outcome in advance.

Example

The restaurant's experiment with vegan dishes attracted many new customers.

Joon tried an experiment in his garden, growing tomatoes upside down.

Common collocations
  • bold experiment
  • social experiment
  • experiment in [field]
  • experiment with [approach]
  • as an experiment
Synonyms
  • trial

    Trial suggests testing before a final decision; experiment has a more open-ended, curious tone.

  • venture

    Venture implies financial risk or business investment; experiment is broader and less commercial.

  • pilot

    Pilot is a small-scale try-out before a wider launch, common in business and education.

Antonyms
  • routine

    A routine is a regular, established way of doing things, the opposite of trying something new.

Grammar Patterns

possessive + experiment

experiment + in + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often appears with a possessive noun describing who is trying the new thing (the company's experiment, my experiment with …). Unlike sense 1, this sense does not imply scientific control or formal procedure.

Common Mistakes

The scientist's experiment with a new teaching method followed strict lab protocols.
The teacher's experiment with a new teaching method did not follow lab protocols.
For non-scientific trials, avoid describing them as if they were controlled laboratory procedures.

experiment — verb

Word family

  • experimental
    adjectiveB1
  • experimentally
    adverbB2
  • experimentation
    nounB2
  • experimenter
    nounB2
  • experimentalist
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Test is the broadest of these four words: any quick check — from a blood test to a driving test — qualifies. Experiment implies a more deliberate, controlled procedure, typically in a scientific setting. Trial is common in medicine and product development where something is tested under real-world conditions before approval (a drug trial, a trial period). Study suggests longer-term observation rather than active intervention: epidemiologists conduct studies, not experiments. Investigation carries a stronger sense of looking for a cause or culprit, often outside the lab (a police investigation). In everyday use, you run a test on your phone battery, conduct an experiment in the chemistry lab, participate in a clinical trial for a new vaccine, or lead an investigation into why the server crashed.

test ↗trial ↗study ↗investigation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • as an experiment
  • by experiment
  • through experiment

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Experiment entered English around the 1300s from Old French esperiment, which came from Latin experimentum meaning 'a trial, proof, or test.' The Latin word was built from experiri 'to try, to test' — a combination of ex- (out) and periri (to attempt, to risk). The same root gives us experience and expert: all three words share the idea of learning by trying something firsthand rather than by theory alone.