Defn: Derived from, or pertaining to, experience. Coleridge. It is called empirical or experiential . . . because it is divan to us by experience or observation, and not obtained as the result of inference or reasoning. Sir. W. Hamiltion. — Ex*pe`ri*en"tial*ly, adv. DR. H. More.
EXPERIENTIALISM
Ex*pe`ri*en"tial*ism, n. (Philos.)
Defn: The doctrine that experience, either that ourselves or of others, is the test or criterion of general knowledge; — opposed to intuitionists. Experientialism is in short, a philosophical or logical theory, not a philosophical one. G. C. Robertson.
EXPERIENTIALIST
Ex*pe`ri*en"tial*ist, n.
Defn: One who accepts the doctrine of experientialism. Also used adjectively.
EXPERIMENT
Ex*per"i*ment, n. Etym: [L. experimentum, fr. experiri to try: cf.
OF. esperiment, experiment. See Experience.]
1. Atrial or special observation, made to confirm or disprove something doubtful; esp., one under conditions determined by the experimenter; an act or operation undertaken in order to discover some unknown principle or effect, or to test, establish, or illustrate some suggest or known truth; practical test; poof. A political experiment can not be made in a laboratory, not determinant in a few hours. J. Adams.
2. Experience. [Obs.] Adam, by sad experiment I know How little weight my words with thee can find. Milton.
EXPERIMENT
Ex*per"i*ment, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Experimented; p. pr. & vb. n.
Experinenting.]
Defn: To make experiment; to operate by test or trial; — often with on, upon, or in, referring to the subject of an experiment; with, referring to the instrument; and by, referring to the means; as, to experiment upon electricity; he experimented in plowing with ponies, or by steam power.