Experience (noun) is the knowledge or skill you gain from doing or seeing something over time, or a specific event that affects you. As a verb, to experience means to have something happen to you or to feel something directly. Example: She has ten years of teaching experience.
What Does Experience Mean?
Experience comes from the Latin experientia, meaning "trial, proof, or experiment", from the verb experiri — "to try or test". The prefix ex- means "out of" and the root peri- means "to pass through", giving a vivid picture of learning by going through something. The word entered English in the 14th century via Old French experience. The same Latin root gives us expert (someone who has tested their knowledge many times), experiment, and peril.
In modern English, experience works as both a noun and a verb, and it carries two distinct noun senses. The first — uncountable — describes accumulated knowledge or skill built up over time: work experience, life experience, years of experience. The second — countable — describes a particular event or situation that you live through: a frightening experience, an unforgettable experience. Understanding this countable/uncountable distinction is essential for natural English.
As a verb, experience is transitive and usually describes something that happens to you rather than something you actively do: to experience pain, to experience difficulties, to experience rapid growth. It is often found in formal and written English; in casual speech, speakers frequently prefer go through or have instead.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level / Usage note |
|---|---|
| She has ten years of teaching experience. | A2 — uncountable noun; knowledge over time |
| My first day at work was a nervous experience. | B1 — countable noun; a specific event |
| Travelling alone helped him gain valuable life experience. | B1 — gain + experience collocation |
| Many small businesses experienced financial difficulties during the pandemic. | B2 — verb form; formal register |
| Drawing on her extensive clinical experience, the surgeon anticipated every complication before it arose. | C1 — draw on experience; complex noun phrase |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| work experience | She did two weeks of work experience at a law firm. |
| life experience | His life experience gave him a deep understanding of people. |
| hands-on experience | The internship gave students hands-on experience in the field. |
| valuable experience | Volunteering abroad is a valuable experience for any student. |
| previous experience | No previous experience is required for this role. |
| gain experience | He wanted to gain experience before starting his own business. |
| lack experience | She lacks experience in managing large teams. |
| draw on experience | The coach drew on her experience as a former player. |
| first-hand experience | He spoke from first-hand experience of living abroad. |
| share experience | The workshop encouraged participants to share their experiences. |
Usage Notes
- Countable vs uncountable: Use the uncountable form (experience, no article or plural) when talking about accumulated knowledge: "Do you have experience in sales?" Use the countable form (an experience / experiences) when referring to specific events: "It was a wonderful experience."
- Verb register: Experience as a verb is more formal than everyday alternatives. In conversation, prefer "I went through a lot of stress" over "I experienced a lot of stress" unless the context is written or semi-formal.
- Adjective form: The adjective experienced describes a person who has done something many times: an experienced pilot. The negative is inexperienced. Do not use experienced to describe an event.
- Prepositions: Use experience in for a field or area (experience in marketing) and experience of when referring to contact with a situation (experience of working in a team). Both are common in British English.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I have many experiences in customer service. (uncountable — do not use plural for accumulated skill)
I have a lot of experience in customer service.
She experienced to work abroad for the first time. (verb is transitive; no infinitive after it)
She experienced working abroad for the first time. / She had the experience of working abroad for the first time.
He is very experience in coding. (adjective form is experienced, not experience)
He is very experienced in coding.