experimental

experimental — adjective

1. describing a new method, product, or approach that is being tried for the first

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a new method, product, or approach that is being tried for the first time or in a different way, so that people can study its effects or decide if it works well.

Example

Haruto's experimental film used footage shot entirely on a mobile phone.

subject (named person) + experimental + noun (film)

The hospital is testing an experimental treatment for children with the rare genetic disorder.

collocation: experimental treatment

Common collocations
  • experimental drug/treatment/therapy
  • experimental film/art/music
  • experimental aircraft/vehicle
  • experimental phase/stage
  • experimental teaching method
Synonyms
  • trial

    trial is narrower — it describes a specific test run or phase, whereas experimental can describe the whole approach or design

  • pilot

    pilot refers to a small-scale first version of something, usually a project or programme, while experimental is broader and can apply to ideas, methods, or objects

  • innovative

    innovative highlights originality and creativity without emphasising testing; a product can be innovative and already proven

  • exploratory

    exploratory suggests open-ended investigation without a fixed hypothesis, whereas experimental usually implies a planned test with expected outcomes

Antonyms
  • established

    an established method or product has been tested and accepted over time

  • proven

    proven means shown to be effective through evidence, the opposite of still being tested

  • conventional

    conventional follows accepted standards rather than trying new approaches

Grammar Patterns

experimental + noun

Usage Note

Frequently used immediately before a noun (attributive position) to describe something still in a testing stage. The opposite idea is expressed by words like established, proven, or conventional.

Common Mistakes

The doctor prescribed an experimental drug that has been used for ten years.
The doctor prescribed an experimental drug that has only been tested on animals.
experimental implies that the drug has NOT yet been proven or widely adopted.

2. connected with the process of conducting scientific experiments to test a hypoth

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

connected with the process of conducting scientific experiments to test a hypothesis, collect measurements, and analyse findings.

Example

The experimental results confirmed what the research team had suspected for over a year.

collocation: experimental results

Asher followed strict experimental procedures to ensure no data was contaminated.

collocation: experimental procedures

Common collocations
  • experimental design
  • experimental data/results
  • experimental group
  • experimental procedure
  • experimental method
  • experimental research
  • experimental evidence
  • experimental psychology/biology/physics
Synonyms
  • laboratory

    laboratory as an adjective (lab test, lab conditions) emphasises the physical setting rather than the process of experimenting

  • empirical

    empirical is broader — it means based on observation or experience rather than theory, while experimental specifically involves controlled tests

  • scientific

    scientific is a wider term covering all aspects of science; experimental is limited to the testing phase of scientific work

Antonyms
  • theoretical

    theoretical deals with ideas and models not yet tested by experiment

  • observational

    observational studies gather data without manipulating variables, unlike experimental ones that involve controlled intervention

Grammar Patterns

experimental + noun

be + experimental

Usage Note

Common in academic and scientific writing. Often paired with nouns such as data, results, method, group, and design. This sense can also appear after a linking verb (e.g. 'the findings are purely experimental').

Common Mistakes

The experimental results were based on opinions and rough guesses.
The experimental results were verified through repeated laboratory tests.
experimental in this sense refers to proper scientific procedures, not casual trial and error.

Word family

  • experiment
    nounB1
  • experiment
    verbB1
  • experimentally
    adverbB2
  • experimentation
    nounB2
  • experimenter
    nounB2
  • experimentalist
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Trial and pilot are the closest alternatives to experimental in the sense of 'being tested.' A trial run is a single test of something before full use; a pilot project is a small-scale version used to decide whether a larger effort is worthwhile. Both imply a limited, controlled test, whereas experimental can also describe the general nature of an approach or design. Innovative differs by focusing on the quality of being new and creative — an innovative product may already be proven and widely adopted. Exploratory suggests open-ended investigation without a fixed hypothesis, while experimental usually implies a planned method with expected outcomes. For example: 'The company launched a pilot programme in three schools before rolling it out nationally.' 'Her innovative fashion line won an award, but it is still in an experimental phase.'

trial ↗pilot ↗innovative ↗exploratory

Common collocations

Nouns

  • experimental data
  • experimental group
  • experimental design
  • experimental method
  • experimental stage
  • experimental results
  • experimental evidence
  • experimental procedure
  • experimental phase

Adverbs

  • highly experimental
  • purely experimental
  • still experimental
  • largely experimental
  • somewhat experimental

Phrases

  • in an experimental stage
  • under experimental conditions
  • at the experimental level

Prepositions

  • experimental in
  • experimental on

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Experimental comes from the Latin word experimentum, meaning 'a test, trial, or proof,' which itself comes from experiri, meaning 'to try or test.' The word entered English in the late 1400s through French, originally meaning 'based on personal experience' — a sense that is now rarely used. Over time its meaning shifted to focus on scientific testing and, more recently, to any new or untried method or design.