Experimental

How to spell experimental

12 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce experimental

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does experimental mean?

1. adjectiveBased on, used for, or still being tested rather than fully established.

Experimental in a sentence

• The new drug is still at an experimental stage and not yet approved.

• The lab purchased experimental equipment for the trial.

Where does experimental come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb experiri, which meant 'to try out' or 'to put to the test', built from the prefix ex- ('thoroughly') and an old root peri- meaning 'to try' or 'to risk'. That same risky root sits inside the words 'peril' and 'expert', the latter literally describing someone who has been thoroughly tried and tested. From experiri came the noun experimentum, 'a trial or test', which passed through Old French as experiment and entered English in the 1300s. The adjective experimental, meaning 'relating to or based on experiment', was formed in English in the 1500s by adding the familiar -al ending. The spelling keeps the full 'experiment' intact before the suffix, so the trap is hearing the unstressed middle 'i' clearly and not dropping it.

How the word is built

• ex- (out, thoroughly)
• peri (try, test, related to peril)
• -ment (result/state noun suffix)
• -al (adjective suffix)