Also 4–6 experiens, -ians, -yens, 5–6 experyence. [a. Fr. expérience, ad. L. experientia, f. experient-em, pr. pple. of experīrī to try, put to the test.]
† 1. The action of putting to the test; trial. To make experience of: to make trial of. Obs.
1388. Wyclif, Gen. xlii. 15. Now y schal take experience [1382 experyment] of ȝou.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 14. At Avynon thexperience Therof haþ ȝoue an euidence.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. i. 7. Of all the which … She [Astræa] caused him [Artegall] to make experience Vpon wild beasts.
1631. Shirley, School of Complement, I. i. Make Experience of my loyalty, by some service.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., Ep. Ded. A ij b. The Art of Shorthand … much wondered at by Travailers, that have seen the experience of it in England.
† b. A tentative procedure; an operation performed in order to ascertain or illustrate some truth; an experiment. Obs.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, II. 280. I prove it … Be experience, for if that thou Threw in a water now, a stone [etc.].
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., VIII. 47. Nowe have I made inoculacion Of pere and appultree: the experience Hath preved wel.
1576. Baker, Jewell of Health, 112 a. The Aucthour … hath both seene, and done many experiences worthy memorie.
1649. Blithe, Eng. Improv. Impr. (1653), 60. They will tell you a story of I know not what experiences they have made, when alas they never knew that an Experiment must hold in all its parts.
1678. R. R[ussell], Geber, II. I. IV. i. 86. All which … we shall … declare, with their Causes and with easie Experiences.
1763. Eliz. Carter, in Pennington, Mem. (1816), I. 301. I was … assured, by people who have made the experience, that [etc.].
† 2. Proof by actual trial; practical demonstration. To put in experience: to fulfil in practice. Obs.; passing into 3.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 1. I … found the point of my rewle … a lite with-in the degree & than haddy of this conclusioun the ful experience.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 138. Thus hath this king experience, How fooles done the reverence To gold.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 5. I had hereof good experyence.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxii. 469. Ye maye well perceyve the experyence of it every day.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., V. cxix. 96. Augustyne … warnyd them … that … they shuld … receyue warre and wreche; the whiche was after put in experience by Ethelfridus Kynge of Northumberland.
1594. Marlowe & Nashe, Dido, IV. iv. And now to make experience of my love, Fair sister Anna, lead my lover forth.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. V. i. § 1. 261. The experience that Pyrrhus hath giuen, of the Roman power, in his dayes.
1715. De Foe, Fam. Instruct., I. iii. (1841), I. 58. I have a full experience of that, and thought my happiness always complete in it.
3. The actual observation of facts or events, considered as a source of knowledge.
1377. Langland, P. Pl., B. XVIII. 151. Thorw experience … I hope þei shal be saued.
1563. Fulke, Meteors (1640), 13. Therefore the Mariners by experience trying, that one flame … signified tempest at hand, supposed the same flame to be the goddess Helena.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. (1586), 121 b. To poure into his mouth wine and oyle … we finde by experience, is verye good.
1651. Wittie, trans. Primrose’s Pop. Err., I. xiv. 51. Experience teacheth that Agarick purges fleame.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. ii. 35. It is not so much a Deduction of Reason, as a Matter of Experience.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 371. Just experience tells … That those that think must govern those that toil.
1785. Reid, Int. Powers, 627. Experience informs us only of what has been, but never of what must be.
1830. Sir J. Herschel, Stud. Nat. Phil., II. i. (1851), 76. The … only ultimate source of our knowledge of nature and its laws, experience; by which we mean … the accumulated experience of all mankind in all ages, registered in books or recorded by tradition.
1847. Helps, Friends in C., I. 18. By making men as gods, enabling them to understand without experience.
1862. [Sir J. F. Stephen], Ess. by a Barrister, 329. Daily experience informs us of the consequences.
4. The fact of being consciously the subject of a state or condition, or of being consciously affected by an event. Also an instance of this; a state or condition viewed subjectively; an event by which one is affected.
1382. Wyclif, Gen. xxx. 27. Laban seide to him … thurȝ experyens Y haue lernyd for God hath blissid to me for thee.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 1. Experiens … were ynough for me To speke of wo that is in mariage.
14[?]. Purific. Marie, in Tundale’s Vis., 129. To have experiens Only of chyldyng.
c. 1532. Dewes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgrave, 1049. Please God that ye understande it by experiens.
1615. J. Stephens, Satyr. Ess. (ed. 2), 172. Hee [a compleate man] knowes what experience can teach, but is not taught by experience.
1693. C. Mather, Wond. Invis. World, 5. Churches, whose Communicants have been seriously examined about their Experience of Regeneration.
1846. Hawthorne, Mosses (1883), 47. A man of science who … had made experience of a spiritual affinity more attractive than any chemical one.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 254. Both of them had learned by experience how soon James forgot obligations.
1874. Miss Mulock, My Mother & I, 8. Many another girl has gone through a similar experience.
1878. Hooker & Ball, Marocco, 269. Another unlooked-for experience was in store for us.
b. In religious use: A state of mind or feeling forming part of the inner religious life; the mental history (of a person) with regard to religious emotion. Also attrib., esp. in Experience-meeting, a meeting (e.g., a Methodist class-meeting or love-feast) held for the recital of religious experiences.
1674. Owen, Holy Spirit (1693), 49. Testified unto by the Experience of them that truely believe.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 47, marg. A Repetition of Christiana’s Experience.
a. 1758. J. Edwards, Wks., III. 32. Those experiences which are agreeable to the word of God are right.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess., Ser. I. 256. The rapture of the Moravian and Quietist … the experiences of the Methodists, are varying forms [etc.].
1854. H. Miller, Footpr. Creat., xiii. (1874), 235. Ought the Christian controversialist to avail himself, in this question, of the experience argument?
1857. Goodrich, Recoll., I. 214. [At these meetings] there was praying, and exhorting, and telling experiences, and singing … sentimental religious hymns.
5. In senses 3, 4 often personified; esp. in various proverbial phrases.
c. 1450. Nun, 150, in E. E. P., 142. ‘What ys yowr name, dame empryse?’ Sche seyde ‘my name ys experience.’
1578. Timme, Calvin on Gen., 249. Experience … is the schoolmaistresse of fooles.
1590. Sir J. Smythe, Disc. Weapons, Sig. *2 b. Experience is the mother of Science.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 34. Experience, oh thou disproou’st Report.
1646. Bp. Hall, Balm Gilead, 301. If experience be the mistresse of fools, I am sure it is the mother of wisdome.
1667. Decay Chr. Piety, v. 104. Experience is the daughter of Time.
1826. Disraeli, Viv. Grey, III. V. i. 13. Experience is the child of Thought, and Thought is the child of Action.
6. What has been experienced; the events that have taken place within the knowledge of an individual, a community, mankind at large, either during a particular period or generally.
1607. Norden, Surv. Dial., 31. I can finde nothing in mine experience to contradict your speech.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scot., I. VI. 423. Her animosity against the queen of Scots was greatly augmented by recent experience.
1860. Mill, Repr. Govt. (1865), 141/2. Profound study of Indian experience.
7. Knowledge resulting from actual observation or from what one has undergone.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 7. It hardelye agreeth with the principles of Philosophie & common experience.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., IV. i. 26. Jaq. Yes, I haue gain’d my experience. Ros. And your experience makes you sad.
1607. Norden, Surv. Dial., 39. I haue no further experience of you then the bare report of my Tenant.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., Ep. Ded. A 2. Having no old experience of the duration of their Reliques.
1791. Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), III. 20. Most men have the generosity to pay for their own experience.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. ii. 22. I had had but little experience of alpine phenomena.
† b. A piece of experimental knowledge; a fact, maxim, rule, or device drawn from or approved by experience; concr. something expertly fashioned. Obs.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., b iij b. This Arte [Astrology] is furnished with many other great Artes and experiences.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., IV. (1586), 170. Some haue an other experience for this purpose, and that is Potshardes beaten small … and giuen vnto them [Doves].
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., III. i. 27. How hast thou purchased this experience?
1621. Bolton, Stat. Irel., 330. Sir Percy Sidney … hath … found amongst other experiences the great abuse of the clergie there.
1657. T. Barker, Art of Angling (1659), 51. I have found an experience [i.e., salmon roe as bait] of late which you may angle with, and take great store of this kind of fish.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., I. ii. 14. I will add one old approved Experience for the Mariners use … that is, to cut Hair, the Moon in [Taurus, etc.].
1670–98. Lassels, Voy. Italy, II. 128. Here I saw the schools … full of pretty curiosities and experiences, Mechanical, Mathematical, and Hydraulical.
8. The state of having been occupied in any department of study or practice, in affairs generally, or in the intercourse of life; the extent to which, or the length of time during which, one has been so occupied; the aptitudes, skill, judgment, etc., thereby acquired.
1483. Caxton, Cato, A viij. He ought to haue thexperience … to knowe what thynge right is.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., 3. To theym that … haue in Cronycles full experyence.
1509. Fisher, Fun. Serm. C’tess Richmond, Wks. 292. The duke of suthfolke … was a man of grete experyence.
1511–2. Act 3 Hen. VIII., c. 11. To the perfecte knowlege wherof bee requisite bothe grete lernyng and ripe experience.
1586. J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., II. xl. in Holinshed. By reason of their continuall wars they are very valient, bold, and of great experiences.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. iv. 69. His yeares but yong, but his experience old.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1702), I. 38. Observations, and Reflections; out of which, that, which is commonly call’d Experience, is constituted.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 98, ¶ 2. You are stricken in Years, and have had great Experience in the World.
1735–8. Bolingbroke, On Parties, 2. There is need of … those Habits in Business called Experience.
1770. Burke, Corr. (1844), I. 240. His experience in the world is but moderate.
1828. Whately, Rhet., II. § 7. The authority derived from Experience.
transf. 1880. Miss Bird, Japan, I. 124. Making a difficult meal from a fowl of much experience.
