Meaning & use

experience

noun·Everyday

Practical knowledge or skill gained from doing, seeing, or feeling things over time.

See it in a sentence

Years of experience taught her how to calm nervous patients before surgery.

The trip to Peru was an unforgettable experience for the whole family.

A note on using this word

As an uncountable noun, experience means accumulated skill; as a countable noun ('an experience'), it means a specific event.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To encounter or undergo an event, feeling, or situation personally.

Travelers often experience culture shock during their first week abroad.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “experience”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.