experimental.

1. Relating to systematic tests conducted to investigate how a factor or condition affects an outcome.

2. Used or introduced on a trial basis rather than as an established method or product.

3. Using unconventional forms or techniques to explore possibilities beyond established practice.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• experimental design
• experimental evidence

On the page

The experimental design specified how conditions would be assigned before results were collected.

Experimental evidence supported the mechanism within the conditions actually tested.

Usage notes

Primary category: science / research / methodology. Forms: Comparative more experimental; superlative most experimental where a trial or exploratory degree is naturally compared. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: methodology, measurement, causation, evaluation. Disciplines: research, statistics, scientific reasoning. Commonness: moderately common.