# experience

/ɪkˈspɪɹiəns/ (US) · /ɛkspˈiəɹɪəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/experience
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. knowledge and skills

noun · CEFR A2

the knowledge or skill you get from doing a job or activity for a long time.

For teachers: the accumulated knowledge or skill resulting from direct participation in events or activities. Uncountable in this sense.

- The company is looking for a manager with at least five years of experience in sales.
- The candidate possesses extensive experience in international law, having spent over a decade navigating complex cross-border disputes for various non-governmental organisations.

### 2. a specific event

noun · CEFR A2

something that happens to you, or an activity you have done.

For teachers: a particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something. Countable in this sense.

- Traveling alone through Europe was a wonderful experience that I will never forget.
- Living abroad for a year was a transformative experience that fundamentally altered her perspective on global politics and social responsibility.

### 3. to feel or undergo

verb · CEFR B1

to have something happen to you, or to feel a specific emotion.

For teachers: to undergo, feel, or be the subject of a particular event or emotion. Transitive — takes a direct object.

- Many people experience a bit of stress when they start a new job.
- Patients may experience mild side effects, such as dizziness or fatigue, during the first few days of the new medication cycle.

### 4. gaming points

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

points that a character earns in a game to become stronger.

For teachers: a measure of a character's progress in a role-playing game, often abbreviated as XP.

- You need to defeat more monsters to gain enough experience to reach the next level.
- The player spent hours grinding in the lower dungeons to accumulate the experience necessary to unlock the advanced skill tree.

## Examples

- She has a lot of experience in teaching.
- Traveling alone through South America was a life-changing experience that taught him how to be more independent.
- The hiring committee prioritizes candidates with extensive field experience over those who have only studied the theoretical aspects of the industry in a classroom setting.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.