experience
UK[ɪkˈspɪəriəns]US[ɪkˈspɪriəns]
n
Knowledge or skill that you get from doing a job or activity, or the process of doing this.
n
Something that happens to you or something you do, especially when this has an effect on what you feel or think.
v
To have a particular situation affect you or happen to you.
Morpheme Breakdown
ex
peri
ence
ex
out
peri
try, go through
ence
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'experience' entered English in the late 14th century via Old French from the Latin experientia, meaning "a trial, proof, experiment; knowledge gained by repeated trials." This Latin term derives from experiens, the present participle of experiri ("to try, test, put to the test"), a compound verb formed from ex- ("out") and the root periri (a variant related to periculum, "danger, risk"). The literal sense is "to try out, to go through something." Over time, the meaning evolved from the active process of testing or undergoing events to encompass both the event itself and the resultant knowledge or skill. This semantic journey reflects a shift from the action of engaging with the world to the abstract state of wisdom or familiarity gained from it.
Analysis
Structure: ex (out) + peri (try, go through) + ence (noun suffix)
- ex: Latin origin, meaning "out of, from, thoroughly". A prefix indicating outward movement or completion.
- peri: From Latin periri, a variant stem of peritus (experienced, skillful), which is related to periculum (trial, danger, experiment). It conveys the sense of trying, testing, or going through.
- ence: Latin suffix -entia, forming nouns of state, quality, or condition from adjectives ending in -ens.
Examples
She has over ten years of experience in teaching.
Traveling alone was a life-changing experience for him.
Many people experience feelings of anxiety before public speaking.