experimentation

UK: /ɪkˌspɛrɪmɛnˈteɪʃ^ən/

US: /ɪkˌspɛrəmɛnˈteɪʃən/

US: (ik sper′ə men tā′shən, -mən-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ex•per•i•men•ta•tion  (ik sper′ə men tā′shən, -mən-), n. 

1. the act, process, practice, or an instance of making experiments.

• 1665–75; experiment + -ation

ex•per•i•men•ta•tive  (ik sper′ə men′tə tiv), adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

experimentation / ɪkˌspɛrɪmɛnˈteɪʃən/ noun

1. the act, process, or practice of experimenting

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ex•per•i•ment /n. ɪkˈspɛrəmənt; v. -ˌmɛnt/  n. 

1. a test, trial, or set of actions, esp. one for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, law, or theory:
   [countable] a laboratory experiment.
2. the conducting of such tests, trials, etc.:
   [uncountable] to prove by experiment.

v. 

3. to try or test esp. in order to discover or prove something: [~ + with + object]
   The chemist was experimenting with the formula.
   [~ + on + object]
   The scientists experimented on two groups of subjects.

ex•per•i•men•tal, adj. 
ex•per•i•men•tal•ly, adv. 
ex•per•i•men•ta•tion /ɪkˌspɛrəmɛnˈteɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ex•per•i•ment  (n. ik sper′ə mənt;v. ek sper′ə ment′), n. 

1. a test, trial, or tentative procedure;
   an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc.:
   a chemical experiment;
   a teaching experiment;
   an experiment in living.
2. the conducting of such operations;
   experimentation:
   a product that is the result of long experiment.
3. [Obs.] experience.

v.i. 

4. to try or test, esp. in order to discover or prove something:
   to experiment with a new procedure.

• Latin experīmentum. See experience, -ment
• Middle English: proof 1325–75

ex•per′i•ment′er, ex•per′i•men′tor, ex•per′i•men•ta′tor, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. See trial. 
• 2. research, investigation.