INDEX:
1. experienced in a particular job or activity
2. the knowledge and skill that you get from doing something
3. not experienced in a particular job or activity
4. lack of experience
5. knowing about life, people, and the world
6. not knowing very much about life, people, and the world
RELATED WORDS
see also
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1. experienced in a particular job or activity
▷ experienced /ɪkˈspɪ ə riənst/ [adjective]
someone who is experienced knows a lot about a job or activity because they have done it for a long time :
▪ Ms Carter is one of our most experienced teachers.
experienced in (doing) something
▪ This job would suit someone experienced in dealing with the public.
highly experienced
very experienced
▪ Highly experienced cost estimators for construction projects earn around $80,000 a year.
▷ seasoned /ˈsiːz ə nd/ [adjective only before noun]
seasoned traveller/politician/professional etc
someone who has done something regularly for a long time and knows all the problems involved :
▪ Being a seasoned traveller, he was fully prepared for the long delay at the airport.
▪ We need a seasoned manager to run this project.
▷ practised British /practiced American /ˈpræktɪst, ˈpræktəst/ [adjective]
someone who is practised in a particular job or skill has become good at it through experience :
▪ A practised observer would quickly notice changes in the birds’ behaviour.
practised in
▪ Morris is a skilful salesman, practiced in the art of persuasion.
▷ veteran /ˈvet ə rən/ [countable noun usually before noun]
someone who has been doing something important in public life for a very long time and is respected by other people :
veteran of
▪ Chiles, a three-term veteran of the U.S. Senate, won the governorship of Florida.
veteran campaigner/statesman/broadcaster etc
▪ Millett is a veteran campaigner for women’s rights.
▪ Veteran diplomat Richard Murphy is heading the commission.
▷ old hand /ˌəʊld ˈhænd/ [countable noun]
someone who has been doing something for a long time and knows all the best ways of doing it :
▪ Charlie will show you what to do - he’s one of our old hands.
old hand at
▪ Nurse Baker is an old hand at dealing with difficult patients.
▷ know a thing or two /ˌnəʊ ə ˈθɪŋ ɔːʳ tuː/ [verb phrase] informal
to have a lot of knowledge about something, gained from experience :
▪ You may not want to believe me, but I do know a thing or two.
know a thing or two about
▪ I think he knows a thing or two about football - he’s been playing for 15 years.
▷ know the ropes /ˌnəʊ ðə ˈrəʊps/ [verb phrase]
to know how to do all the parts of a job or to be able to deal with a system because you have had a lot of experience :
▪ The best way to learn is to spend some time with someone who knows the ropes.
▪ People who shop at thrift stores regularly know the ropes.
▷ pro /prəʊ/ [countable noun] informal
someone whom you admire because of their great skill and experience in a particular job, profession, or activity :
▪ My accountant knows his stuff - he’s a real pro.
old pro
▪ If there’s a fish down there he’ll catch it - he’s a old pro.
2. the knowledge and skill that you get from doing something
▷ experience /ɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [uncountable noun]
the knowledge and skill you get from doing something, especially for a long time :
have experience
▪ She’s very bright and ambitious but she doesn’t have much experience.
experience of (doing) something
British
▪ She has plenty of experience of dealing with difficult situations.
experience doing something
American
▪ I have a little bit of experience working in a hotel.
teaching/secretarial/political etc experience
▪ The job requires five years’ secretarial experience.
previous experience
experience you have gained already in a job before this
▪ Have you had any previous experience as a construction worker?
gain experience
▪ Fran is gaining valuable experience working for her father’s firm.
3. not experienced in a particular job or activity
▷ inexperienced /ˌɪnɪkˈspɪ ə riənst◂/ [adjective]
someone who is inexperienced does not know much about a job or activity, either because they have not done it at all or because they have done it for only a short time :
▪ Inexperienced managers often have problems with their staff.
▪ There are a lot of young, inexperienced players on the team.
▷ lack experience /ˌlæk ɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to not have enough experience of doing a particular job or activity :
▪ I know Sally lacks experience, but she’s tremendously enthusiastic.
lack experience of
British
▪ If Glover lacks experience of management, why was he put in charge?
lack experience doing something
American
▪ He clearly lacked experience speaking before large groups.
▷ be new to something /biː ˈnjuː tə something ǁ-ˈnuː-/ [verb phrase]
if you are new to a job or activity, you do not have much experience of doing it because you have only just started it :
▪ As you are new to the job, we don’t expect you to work as fast as the others.
be new to the game
to have no experience of an activity or a business
▪ They’re new to the software game, so they’re spending a lot on advertising.
▷ untrained /ˌʌnˈtreɪnd◂/ [adjective]
someone who is untrained is doing a job or activity that they have not yet been officially taught to do :
▪ Untrained nurses are not allowed to treat patients who are seriously ill.
untrained in
▪ The records are confusing to anyone untrained in accounting.
▷ rookie /ˈrʊki/ [countable noun] American
someone who is still new and inexperienced in an activity or job, especially in a sport, the army, or the police :
▪ Don’t be too hard on the guy, he’s just a rookie.
rookie pitcher/quarterback/agent/coach etc
▪ Mariucci is the first rookie coach in NFL history to win 11 games in a row.
▷ novice /ˈnɒvɪs, ˈnɒvəsǁˈnɑː-/ [countable noun]
someone who has just started doing a particular job or activity and has very little or no experience :
▪ The Eiger is a difficult mountain to climb. Novices should not attempt it.
novice to
▪ If you’re a novice to working with computer graphics, you should buy this CD-ROM.
novice skier/user/driver etc
▪ Novice drivers are responsible for a large portion of all accidents.
▷ the uninitiated /ði ˌʌnɪˈnɪʃieɪtə̇d/ [plural noun]
people who have no experience or knowledge of a difficult subject or skill - used in formal or humorous situations :
to/for the uninitiated
▪ To the uninitiated, most computer systems seem complex and difficult to understand.
▪ The classes are designed for the uninitiated, starting with the basics of car mechanics.
4. lack of experience
▷ inexperience /ˌɪnɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [uncountable noun]
the fact of having little or no experience in a job or activity :
▪ Because of my inexperience in the business, I think I trusted other people too much.
▪ The inexperience of the teaching staff has taken its toll on student test scores.
▷ lack of experience /ˌlæk əv ɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [noun phrase]
the fact of not having enough experience in a job or activity :
▪ I’m not worried about her lack of experience - we can easily train her.
▪ Mallory’s lack of political experience shows in some of the decisions he’s made.
5. knowing about life, people, and the world
▷ experienced /ɪkˈspɪ ə riənst/ [adjective]
▪ Paul liked to turn to more experienced people for advice.
experienced in
▪ My elder brother was a lot more experienced in these matters than I was.
▷ have been around /həv ˌbiːn əˈraʊndǁ-ˌbɪn-/ [verb phrase] informal
if you say that someone has been around, you mean that they have had experience of many different situations and many different types of people and so they can deal with new situations confidently and easily :
▪ When you’ve been around as long as I have you realize some things aren’t worth getting upset about.
have been around the block (a few times)
▪ I’ve been around the block a few times, and I think I know when someone’s trying to cheat me.
▷ be a man/woman of the world /biː ə ˌmæn, ˌwʊmən əv ðə ˈwɜːʳld/ [verb phrase]
to be someone who knows a lot about life, has had a lot of different experiences etc and is not easily shocked by things :
▪ Look, Ray, you’re a man of the world - I’m sure you’ve been in situations like this before.
▷ sophisticated /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtəd, səˈfɪstəkeɪtəd/ [adjective]
someone who is sophisticated has a lot of knowledge and experience of clever, fashionable things, and shows this by the way they talk and behave :
▪ Everyone at the party was sophisticated and well-educated.
▪ The play is intended for a sophisticated audience.
▷ streetwise /ˈstriːtwaɪz/ [adjective]
someone who is streetwise has had enough experience of life in big cities to know how to deal with difficult or dangerous people and situations :
▪ Kids these days are much more streetwise than we ever were at their age.
▪ Copeland is a streetwise cop who knows how to take care of himself.
▷ worldly /ˈwɜːʳldli/ [adjective]
having a lot of experience and knowledge about life and the practical rather than the moral reasons for people’s actions :
▪ For a priest he was surprisingly worldly.
▪ She was much older and more worldly than I was.
▷ hardened /ˈhɑːʳdnd/ [adjective only before noun]
hardened criminal/cynic etc
someone who has had a lot of experience dealing with difficult situations and is therefore less affected by them :
▪ Even the most hardened criminal would have been shocked by the brutality of the crime.
▪ Hardened foes of abortion are unlikely to be persuaded by her arguments.
▷ hard-bitten /ˌhɑːʳd ˈbɪtn◂/ [adjective]
someone who is hard-bitten has developed a hard, unsympathetic character because their experience of life has been difficult and unpleasant :
▪ Miss Davies is not really the tough, hard-bitten businesswoman that she appears to be.
▪ Jensen’s experience in prison left him hard-bitten, cynical, and ruthless.
6. not knowing very much about life, people, and the world
▷ inexperienced /ˌɪnɪkˈspɪ ə riənst/ [adjective]
▪ She’s too young and inexperienced to go abroad on her own.
▪ I’m not going to take orders from some foolish inexperienced young man.
▷ innocent /ˈɪnəs ə nt/ [adjective]
having very little experience of the world, especially because you are young so that you do not realize that some people might want to cause others harm :
▪ He’s so innocent that anyone can take advantage of him.
▪ Don’t get her mixed up in your plan - she’s just an innocent girl.
innocence [uncountable noun]
▪ He’ll lose his innocence pretty fast, living in New York.
▷ naive /naɪˈiːvǁnɑːˈiːv/ [adjective]
having little experience of life, so that you believe that life is simple and are too ready to trust people :
▪ I was so naive - I believed everything the military told me.
▪ He held onto the naive belief that Marxism would solve all the world’s problems.
naively [adverb]
▪ She naively believed that he would send her a check as soon as he got home.
naivety /naɪˈɪːvətiǁnɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Through naivete, she signed over the rights to all her music to her manager.
▷ unsophisticated /ˌʌnsəˈfɪstɪkeɪtəd◂, ˌʌnsəˈfɪstəkeɪtəd◂/ [adjective]
having little knowledge or experience of clever, fashionable things, and showing this by the way you talk and behave :
▪ When she arrived in the city, she was just an unsophisticated country girl.
▪ I felt very ignorant and unsophisticated when I was with my brother and his university friends.
▷ green /griːn/ [adjective]
having very little experience of an activity or job :
▪ Even when I was 21 I was so green, I had no idea that my best friend was on drugs.
▪ Pike was a grizzled combat veteran in charge of fifteen green recruits.
▷ babe in the woods /ˌbeɪb ɪn ðə ˈwʊdz/ [countable noun]
someone who does not have much experience, and can easily be deceived :
▪ Stop worrying about Lucia - she’s no babe in the woods anymore.