Experimenting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of performing various tests to examine theories or uncover new knowledge
2. Engaging in hands-on investigations to assess assumptions or outcomes
3. Trying out different methods or ideas to observe their effects and gather information

Etymology: "Experimenting" is the present participle of "experiment," which came into English in Middle English from Old French "esperiment," itself taken from Latin "experimentum," meaning "experience, attempt, trial." The Latin noun grew from the verb "experior," "to try out, to test, to experience," a compound of "ex" ("out") and a verb whose root goes back to the same ancestor as the Greek "peira" ("trial, attempt"), which also gave English "pirate" through a different route, though that link is less direct than it looks. The striking thing is how far the sense has narrowed. In Latin, "experimentum" covered any trial or encounter with the world, the everyday knowledge gained by living through things, and "experiential" still carries some of that older breadth. Only later did the word settle onto deliberate, controlled testing, the sense that "experimenting" now carries when someone tries a new idea to see what happens.

Synonyms: testing, trialing

Antonyms: settling, confirming