2. The effect upon the judgment or feelings produced by any event, whether witnessed or participated
in; personal and direct impressions as contrasted with description or fancies; personal acquaintance; actual
enjoyment or suffering. "Guided by other's experiences." Shak.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience.
P. Henry
To most men experience is like the stern lights of a ship, which illumine only the track it has passed.
Coleridge.
When the consuls . . . came in . . . they knew soon by experience how slenderly guarded against
danger the majesty of rulers is where force is wanting.
Holland.
Those that undertook the religion of our Savior upon his preaching, had no experience of it.
Sharp. 3. An act of knowledge, one or more, by which single facts or general truths are ascertained; experimental
or inductive knowledge; hence, implying skill, facility, or practical wisdom gained by personal knowledge,
feeling or action; as, a king without experience of war.
Whence hath the mind all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer in one word, from
experience.
Locke.
Experience may be acquired in two ways; either, first by noticing facts without any attempt to influence
the frequency of their occurrence or to vary the circumstances under which they occur; this is observation; or,
secondly, by putting in action causes or agents over which we have control, and purposely varying their
combinations, and noticing what effects take place; this is experiment.
Sir J. Herschel. Experience
(Ex*pe"ri*ence), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Experienced (-enst); p. pr. & vb. n. Experiencing ]
1. To make practical acquaintance with; to try personally; to prove by use or trial; to have trial of; to have
the lot or fortune of; to have befall one; to be affected by; to feel; as, to experience pain or pleasure; to
experience poverty; to experience a change of views.
The partial failure and disappointment which he had experienced in India.
Thirwall. 2. To exercise; to train by practice.
The youthful sailors thus with early care
Their arms experience, and for sea prepare.
Harte. To experience religion (Theol.),
to become a convert to the doctrines of Christianity; to yield to the
power of religious truth.
Experienced
(Ex*pe"ri*enced) p. p. & a. Taught by practice or by repeated observations; skillful or wise
by means of trials, use, or observation; as, an experienced physician, workman, soldier; an experienced
eye.
The ablest and most experienced statesmen.
Bancroft. Experiencer
(Ex*pe"ri*en*cer) n.
1. One who experiences.
2. An experimenter. [Obs.] Sir. K. Gigby.
Experient
(Ex*pe"ri*ent) a. Experienced. [Obs.]
The prince now ripe and full experient.
Beau. & Fl.