experience

I. ex‧pe‧ri‧ence¹ S1 W1 /ɪkˈspɪəriəns $ -ˈspɪr-/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: verb: ↑experience; noun: ↑experience ≠ ↑inexperience; adjective: ↑experienced ≠ ↑inexperienced]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin experientia 'act of trying', from experiri 'to try out']
1. KNOWLEDGE/SKILL [uncountable] knowledge or skill that you gain from doing a job or activity, or the process of doing this
experience of/in/with
You’ve got a lot of experience of lecturing.
my experience in many areas of the music business
He had no previous experience of managing a farm.
The advice in the booklet reflects the practical experience we have gained (=experience gained by actually doing something, rather than knowledge from books etc).
I had some experience in fashion design.
She was turned down on the grounds of lack of experience.
I have first-hand experience (=experience gained by doing something myself) of running a school.
gain/get experience
The programme enables pupils to gain some experience of the world of work.
2. KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE [uncountable] knowledge that you gain about life and the world by being in different situations and meeting different people, or the process of gaining this
in sb’s experience
In his experience, women did not like getting their feet wet and muddy.
know/learn/speak from experience
Being a parent isn’t easy, as I know from experience.
All animals appear to have some capacity to learn from experience.
I speak from bitter experience (=having learnt something because something unpleasant happened).
personal/previous/past experience
From personal experience, she knew and understood the problems of alcohol addiction.
experience shows/suggests that
Beth’s experience suggests that people don’t really change deep down.
3. SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS [countable] something that happens to you or something you do, especially when this has an effect on what you feel or think:
childhood experiences
experience of/with
This was my first experience of living with other people.
experience for
Failing an exam was a new experience for me.
I had a similar experience last year.
The two children in this story have been through a lot of bad experiences.
Parachuting is quite an experience.
memorable/unforgettable experience
This romantic evening cruise is a memorable experience.
religious experience (=a situation in which you feel, hear, or see something that affects you strongly and makes you believe in God)
This kind of religious experience was a sign of God’s special favour.
4. the black/female/Russian etc experience events or knowledge shared by the members of a particular society or group of people:
No writer expresses the black experience with such passion as Toni Morisson.
5. work experience British English a system in which a student can work for a company in order to learn about a job, or the period during which a student does this:
Ella is about to do work experience with a clothing manufacturer.
on work experience
students on work experience
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ have experience Applicants must have experience of working with children.
▪ get/gain experience He suggested that I should gain some experience in a related industry like travel.
▪ lack experience (=not have enough experience) Some students lack experience writing essays.
▪ broaden/widen your experience (=increase the amount of different experience you have) After six years with the bank, he went to work in New York to broaden his experience.
■ adjectives
▪ considerable experience (=a lot of experience) Margaret has considerable experience of hospital work.
▪ long experience (=experience gained over a long period of time) New prison officers are partnered by officers with long experience of dealing with violent prisoners.
▪ useful/valuable experience (=useful experience) That summer he got some valuable experience working in a tax office.
▪ invaluable experience (=extremely useful experience) Playing in the under-21 squad gives these young players invaluable experience.
▪ relevant experience (=experience that directly relates to a job, subject, or problem) Applicants need a degree and two years of relevant experience.
▪ past/previous experience His only previous experience of broadcasting consisted of a job hosting a local radio station.
▪ practical experience (=experience gained from doing something, not from books or study) The classes provide students with some practical experience of computers.
▪ first-hand experience (=experience gained by doing something yourself) She has no first-hand experience of running a school.
■ phrases
▪ a wealth of experience (=a lot of useful experience) Between them, the management team have a wealth of experience.
▪ lack of experience My colleagues kept making comments about about my lack of experience.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ personal experience He spoke from personal experience about the harmful effects of taking drugs.
▪ life experience (=experience that comes from life) As an older parent, your life experience is one of your greatest assets.
▪ first-hand experience (=experience gained from doing something yourself) As a journalist living in Iraq, he had first-hand experience of coping with terror on his doorstep.
▪ bitter experience (=experience that makes you feel disappointed or upset) I knew from bitter experience how unreliable she could be.
▪ everyday experience (=experience of normal life) Hunger is part of everyday experience for these children.
■ verbs
▪ know/learn from experience Janet knew from experience that love doesn't always last.
▪ speak from experience The miners spoke from experience about the dangers of their work.
▪ lack experience Many men in their twenties lack experience and social skills.
▪ experience suggests/shows something Experience suggests that children who commit crimes will continue to offend as adults.
■ phrases
▪ lack of experience He was embarrassed about his lack of experience with women.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + experience
▪ a good/bad experience On the whole, going to boarding school was a good experience for him. | I've had some bad experiences when I've been travelling on my own.
▪ positive/negative The entire experience has been very positive. | Many people reported having negative experiences when dealing with their local council.
▪ enjoyable/pleasant We want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. | She recalled pleasant experiences from her past.
▪ memorable/unforgettable (=a good experience that you will remember for a long time) Meeting the queen was a memorable experience.
▪ painful (=one that is very upsetting) Her family supported her through the painful experience.
▪ traumatic/harrowing (=one that is shocking and upsetting, and affects you for a long time) Having an operation can be a traumatic experience for a child.
▪ new The club scene was a whole new experience for me.
▪ a formative experience (=one that has an important influence on the way someone develops) The trip was probably the most formative experience of my life.
▪ childhood experiences Our childhood experiences make us what we are as adults.
▪ a religious experience (=one that makes someone believe strongly in God) As a young man he had a profound religious experience.
▪ an everyday/commonplace experience (=one that is typical of normal life) The sound of gunfire is an everyday experience in the city.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

experience

ex·peri·ence [experience experiences experienced experiencing] noun, verb [ɪkˈspɪəriəns] [ɪkˈspɪriəns]

noun
1. uncountable the knowledge and skill that you have gained through doing sth for a period of time; the process of gaining this
• to have over ten years' teaching experience
• Do you have any previous experience of this type of work?
• a doctor with experience in dealing with patients suffering from stress
• My lack of practical experience was a disadvantage.
• She didn't get paid much but it was all good experience.
• He gained valuable experience whilst working on the project.
• We all learn by experience.

see also work experience

2. uncountable the things that have happened to you that influence the way you think and behave
• Experience has taught me that life can be very unfair.
• It is important to try and learn from experience.
• In my experience, very few people really understand the problem.
• She knew from past experience that Ann would not give up easily.
• The book is based on personal experience.

• direct/first-hand experience of poverty

3. countable an event or activity that affects you in some way
• an enjoyable/exciting/unusual/unforgettable, etc. experience
• ~ (of sth) It was her first experience of living alone.
• Living in Africa was very different from home and quite an experience (= unusual for us).
• I had a bad experience with fireworks once.

• He seems to have had some sort of religious experience.

4. the… experience singular events or knowledge shared by all the members of a particular group in society, that influences the way they think and behave
• musical forms like jazz that emerged out of the Black American experience
Word Origin:
late Middle English: via Old French from Latin experientia, from experiri ‘try’. Compare with experiment and expert.
Thesaurus:
experience noun
1. U
• I have over 10 years' teaching experience.
knowledge • • understanding • • learning • • wisdom •
Opp: inexperience
practical experience/knowledge/understanding/wisdom
acquire experience/knowledge/understanding/learning/wisdom
gain experience/knowledge/understanding/wisdom
2. C
• I had a bad experience with fireworks once.
event • • incident • • affair • • episode • |especially spoken business •
a terrible experience/event/incident/affair/business
an enjoyable experience/event/affair
a/an experience/event/incident/episode occurs/takes place
Example Bank:
• Choose illustrative examples from the children's everyday experience.
• Does anyone have any experiences— good or bad— that they would like to share with the group?
• Early experiences shape the way we deal with crises in later life.
• Early experiences shape the way we face up to and deal with crises in later life.
• Experience is subjective and very hard to measure.
• Experience shows that this strategy does not always work.
• He found the whole experience traumatic.
• He has direct experience of poverty.
• I love reading: I have an insatiable appetite for vicarious experience.
• I think you will enjoy the experience of taking part in the show.
• In her book, she draws on her first-hand experience of mental illness.
• In my experience, very few people really understand the problem.
• It could take him years to get over this experience.
• It is a common experience to feel that an author writes well, without being able to say why.
• It is a matter of common experience that disorder will increase if things are left to themselves.
• It was quite an experience being involved in making a television programme.
• Reliving past experiences can release powerful feelings that have been pent up too long.
• Rolls Royce's unrivalled experience in high technology manufacturing
• She didn't get paid much but it was all good experience.
• She has been through a very traumatic experience.
• She has brought personal experience to bear on her analyses of business history.
• She has considerable professional experience of translation.
• She wanted to broaden her experience in international affairs.
• Students require field experience rather than just observation.
• The book is based on personal experience.
• The goal is to enhance the user experience on computing devices.
• The new player will bring a wealth of experience to the team.
• The novel is based on his experiences in the war.
• The returning soldiers bring valuable experience to the Army.
• The sound system greatly enhances the experience of the movie.
• The use of drama can motivate students by allowing them to share a common experience.
• There are few areas of human experience that have not been written about.
• These views reflect my own personal experience.
• We aim to create an experience the consumer will remember.
• We all learn by experience.
• We know from experience that hot objects are painful to touch.
• We're in for a difficult couple of weeks, if past experience is anything to go by.
• a hair-raising experience of white-water rafting
• companies with limited experience in the field
• his peers, with whom he shares the common experience of being black in a white society
• the importance of hands-on experience as well as academic training
• Although it was brief, it was a highly enjoyable experience.
• He has had direct/first-hand experience of poverty.
• I have over ten years' teaching experience.
• It is important to try and learn from experience.
• Living in Africa was very different from home and quite an experience.
• Musical forms such as jazz emerged out of the Black American experience.
• The opportunities available will depend on your previous work experience and qualifications.

Idiom: put something down to experience

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

experience / ɪkˈspɪə.ri. ə ns / / -ˈspɪr.i- / noun

B1 [ U ] (the process of getting) knowledge or skill from doing, seeing, or feeling things:

Do you have any experience of working with kids? (= Have you ever worked with them?)

The best way to learn is by experience (= by doing things) .

I know from experience that Tony never keeps his promises.

I don't think she has the experience for the job (= enough knowledge and skill for it) .

In my experience, people generally smile back if you smile at them.

The experience of pain (= what pain feels like) varies from one person to another.

B1 [ C ] something that happens to you that affects how you feel:

I had a rather unpleasant experience at the dentist's.

It was interesting hearing about his experiences as a policeman.

I did meet him once and it was an experience I shall never forget.

Word partners for experience noun

have (an) experience • gain / lack experience • experience shows / suggests that • know / learn from experience • a bad / frightening / painful / traumatic experience • an amazing / great / pleasant / unforgettable experience • past / previous experience • good / useful / wide experience • experience in / of sth • in my, your, etc. experience • by / from experience

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

experience

[ɪkspɪ͟əriəns]
♦
experiences, experiencing, experienced
1) N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp Experience is knowledge or skill in a particular job or activity, which you have gained because you have done that job or activity for a long time.
  He has also had managerial experience on every level...
  He's counting on his mother to take care of the twins for him; she's had plenty of experience with them.
2) N-UNCOUNT Experience is used to refer to the past events, knowledge, and feelings that make up someone's life or character.
  I should not be in any danger here, but experience has taught me caution...
  She had learned from experience to take little rests in between her daily routine...
  `If you act afraid, they won't let go,' he says, speaking from experience.
3) N-COUNT: usu with supp An experience is something that you do or that happens to you, especially something important that affects you.
  Moving had become a common experience for me...
  His only experience of gardening so far proved immensely satisfying...
  Many of his clients are unbelievably nervous, usually because of a bad experience in the past.
4) VERB If you experience a particular situation, you are in that situation or it happens to you.
  [V n] We had never experienced this kind of holiday before and had no idea what to expect...
  [V n] British business is now experiencing a severe recession.
5) VERB If you experience a feeling, you feel it or are affected by it.
  [V n] Widows seem to experience more distress than do widowers.
N-SING: the N of n
Experience is also a noun. ...the experience of pain.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹ex·pe·ri·ence /ɪkˈspirijəns/ noun, pl -enc·es
1 [noncount] : the process of doing and seeing things and of having things happen to you
• The best way to learn is by experience.
• the experience of pain/love
2 [noncount]
a : skill or knowledge that you get by doing something
• We need someone with experience.
• She gained/acquired a lot of experience at that job.
• I know that from personal/firsthand experience.
• Do you have experience doing this kind of work? [=have you done this kind of work?]
• I have little experience (dealing) with these kinds of issues.
b : the length of time that you have spent doing something (such as a particular job)
• She has five years' experience as a computer programmer.
3 [count] : something that you have done or that has happened to you
• He wrote about his experiences as a pilot.
• That experience is one I'd rather forget!