experience

Pronunciation

IPA Phonetic Spelling of "experience"

IPA: /ɪkˈspɪəriəns/

Syllable Breakdown:

• ɪk: /ɪ/ (short i sound) + /k/ (voiceless velar stop)

• ˈspɪəri: /ˈs/ (voiceless alveolar fricative) + /p/ (voiceless bilabial stop) + /ɪ/ (short i sound) + /ə/ (schwa) + /r/ (alveolar approximant)

• əns: /ə/ (schwa) + /n/ (alveolar nasal) + /s/ (voiceless alveolar fricative)

Word Form Variations

• Noun:

  • Singular: experience

  • Plural: experiences

  Verb:

  • Base form: experience

  • Past tense: experienced

  • Past participle: experienced

  • Present participle: experiencing

  Adjective:

  • experienced (meaning having knowledge or skill from doing something)

Definitions, Synonyms, Antonyms

Noun

• Definition: The accumulation of knowledge or skill gained through direct involvement in something.

• Synonyms: encounter, adventure, exposure, practice, ordeal

• Antonyms: inexperience, ignorance, novelty, unfamiliarity

Verb

• Definition: To undergo or feel something, especially something new or unusual.

• Synonyms: feel, encounter, undergo, suffer, live through

• Antonyms: avoid, escape, miss out on, shirk

Adjective

• Definition: Having knowledge or skill gained through direct involvement in something.

• Synonyms: seasoned, veteran, practiced, skilled, knowledgeable

• Antonyms: inexperienced, novice, green, untrained, unfamiliar

Adverb

• Definition: In a way that is based on personal knowledge or experience.

• Synonyms: empirically, practically, firsthand, directly, observantly

• Antonyms: theoretically, hypothetically, abstractly, conceptually

Examples of Use

Books

• "He had a wealth of experience in the field of education." (From The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

• "I've never experienced such a terrifying storm before." (From The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien)

Newspapers

• "The company is looking for candidates with extensive experience in customer service." (From The New York Times)

• "The recent earthquake was a traumatic experience for many residents." (From The Guardian)

Online Publications

• "My experience with this product has been overwhelmingly positive." (From a product review on Amazon)

• "The virtual reality experience was incredibly immersive." (From a tech blog)

Entertainment Mediums and Platforms

• "The band's live performance was an unforgettable experience." (From a music review on Rolling Stone)

• "The video game offers a unique and immersive gaming experience." (From a gaming website)

General Public Discourse

• "I've had the experience of living in several different countries." (A personal anecdote)

• "It's important to learn from your experiences and grow as a person." (A motivational quote)

10 Famous Quotes Using the term Experience

1. "Experience is the teacher of all things."
   — Julius Caesar

2. "The only source of knowledge is experience."
   — Albert Einstein

3. "The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know."
   — Michel Legrand

4. "Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced."
   — John Keats

5. "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
   — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

6. "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
   — Søren Kierkegaard

7. "Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you."
   — Aldous Huxley

8. "Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment."
   — Will Rogers

9. "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
   — Mahatma Gandhi

10. "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."
    — Henry Ford

Etymology

"Experience" comes from the Latin word experientia, which means "trial, test, or proof." This word is made up of two parts:

• ***ex-***: meaning "out" or "from"

• ***peri-***: meaning "to try" or "to test"

So, "experience" originally meant "to try something out" or "to test something." Over time, the meaning shifted to refer to the knowledge or skill gained from doing something.

The first recorded use of "experience" in English was in the late 14th century. It was used to describe the process of trying something out or testing something, as well as the knowledge or skill gained from this process.

Phrases + Idioms Containing the term Experience

Common Phrases:

• Gain experience: To acquire knowledge or skill through practice.

• Have experience in: To be skilled or knowledgeable in a particular area.

• Past experience: Knowledge or skill acquired in the past.

• Life experience: Knowledge or wisdom gained through living.

• First-hand experience: Personal knowledge or experience.

Less Common Phrases:

• Experience the thrill of: To enjoy a very exciting or exhilarating activity.

• Learn from experience: To gain wisdom or knowledge through mistakes or failures.

• A learning experience: A situation that teaches someone something.

• A shared experience: Something that is experienced by more than one person.

Idioms with Synonyms:

• Go through a lot: (Similar to "experience a lot") To endure hardship or difficulties.

• Live and learn: (Similar to "learn from experience") To gain wisdom through mistakes or failures.

• See the world: (Similar to "gain experience") To travel and learn about different cultures.

Posts Related to Experience

Source Information

Definition of experience from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.