experience

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [U] the knowledge and skill that you have gained through doing sth for a period of time; the process of gaining this: to have over ten years' teaching experience * Do you have any previous experience of this type of work? * a doctor with experience in dealing with patients suffering from stress * My lack of practical experience was a disadvantage. * She didn't get paid much but it was all good experience. * He gained valuable experience whilst working on the project. * We all learn by experience. seealsoWORKEXPERIENCE 2 [U] the things that have happened to you that influence the way you think and behave: Experience has taught me that life can be very unfair. * It is important to try and learn from experience. * In my experience, very few people really understand the problem. * She knew from past experience that Ann would not give up easily. * The book is based on personal experience. * direct / first-hand experience of poverty 3 [C] ~ (of sth) an event or activity that affects you in some way: an enjoyable / exciting / unusual / unforgettable experience * It was her first experience of living alone. * Living in Africa was very different from home and quite an experience (= unusual for us). * I had a bad experience with fireworks once. * He seems to have had some sort of religious experience. 4 (the...experience) [sing.] events or knowledge shared by all the members of a particular group in society, that influences the way they think and behave: musical forms like jazz that emerged out of the Black American experience IDIOMS see CHALKv. verb [VN] 1 to have a particular situation affect you or happen to you: The country experienced a foreign currency shortage for several months. * Everyone experiences these problems at some time in their lives. 2 to have and be aware of a particular emotion or physical feeling: to experience pain / pleasure / unhappiness * I experienced a moment of panic as I boarded the plane.