I. ik-ˈspir-ē-ən(t)s noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin experientia act of trying, from experient-, experiens, present participle of experiri to try, from ex- + -periri (akin to periculum attempt) — more at fear
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge
b. : the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation
2.
a. : practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity
b. : the length of such participation
has 10 years' experience in the job
3.
a. : the conscious events that make up an individual life
b. : the events that make up the conscious past of a community or nation or humankind generally
4. : something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through
5. : the act or process of directly perceiving events or reality
II. transitive verb
( -enced ; -enc·ing )
Date: 1580
1. : to learn by experience
I have experienced that a landscape and the sky unfold the deepest beauty — Nathaniel Hawthorne
2. : to have experience of : undergo
experienced severe hardships as a child