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noun knowledge/skill got from seeing/doing sth ADJ. considerable, long, wide | good, invaluable, relevant, unrivalled, valuable She didn't get paid much but it was all good experience. Both candidates for the presidency were short of relevant experience. Rolls Royce's unrivalled experience in high technology manufacturing | previous Do you have any previous experience of this type of work? | direct, first-hand, hands-on, practical the importance of hands-on experience as well as academic training | professional, work VERB + EXPERIENCE have | lack | gain, get | broaden She wanted to broaden her experience in international affairs. PREP. ~ of She has considerable professional experience of translation. PHRASES a lack of experience, a wealth of experience The veteran goalkeeper will bring a wealth of experience to the team. the things that have happened to you ADJ. past We're in for a difficult couple of weeks, if past experience is anything to go by. | direct, first-hand, hands-on, personal | subjective Experience is subjective and very hard to measure. | vicarious I love reading: I have an insatiable appetite for vicarious experience. | common, shared his peers, with whom he shares the common experience of being black in a white society | common It is a matter of common experience that disorder will increase if things are left to themselves. | everyday Choose illustrative examples from the children's everyday experience. | human There are few areas of human experience that have not been written about. | sensory VERB + EXPERIENCE have | share | draw on, learn by/from/through In her book, she draws on her first-hand experience of mental illness. We all learn by experience. | be based on The book is based on personal experience. EXPERIENCE + VERB suggest sth, teach (sb) sth Experience has taught me that life can be very unfair. PREP. by/from ~ We know from experience that hot objects are painful to touch. | in sb's ~ In my experience, very few people really understand the problem. | ~ of He has direct experience of poverty. event/activity that affects you ADJ. enjoyable, exhilarating, good, interesting, liberating, pleasant, rewarding, unforgettable, valuable | bad, harrowing, painful, traumatic, unnerving, unsettling I had a bad experience with fireworks once. | hair-raising, nerve-racking a hair-raising experience of white-water rafting | humbling, salutary, sobering | personal, subjective | common, shared The use of drama can motivate students by allowing them to share a common experience. | common It is a common experience to feel that an author writes well, without being able to say why. | real-life | past | childhood, early, formative Early experiences shape the way we face up to and deal with crises in later life. | educational, learning | mystical, religious, visionary | psychic | sexual | near-death VERB + EXPERIENCE enjoy, go through, have, undergo She has been through a very traumatic experience. I think you will enjoy the experience of taking part in the show. | come through, get over It could take him years to get over this experience. | describe, recount, talk about | share, swap Does anyone have any experiences?good or bad?that they would like to share with the group? | relive Reliving past experiences can release powerful feelings that have been pent up too long. | be based on The novel is based on his experiences in the war. PHRASES quite an experience It was quite an experience being involved in making a television programme.
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experience verbs have experience • Applicants must have experience of working with children. get/gain experience • He suggested that I should gain some experience in a related industry like travel. lack experience (= not have enough experience ) • Some students lack experience writing essays. broaden/widen your experience (= increase the amount of different experience you have ) • After six years with the bank, he went to work in New York to broaden his experience. adjectives considerable experience (= a lot of experience ) • Margaret has considerable experience of hospital work. long experience (= experience gained over a long period of time ) • New prison officers are partnered by officers with long experience of dealing with violent prisoners. useful/valuable experience (= useful experience ) • That summer he got some valuable experience working in a tax office. invaluable experience (= extremely useful experience ) • Playing in the under-21 squad gives these young players invaluable experience. relevant experience (= experience that directly relates to a job, subject, or problem ) • Applicants need a degree and two years of relevant experience. past/previous experience • His only previous experience of broadcasting consisted of a job hosting a local radio station. practical experience (= experience gained from doing something, not from books or study ) • The classes provide students with some practical experience of computers. first-hand experience (= experience gained by doing something yourself ) • She has no first-hand experience of running a school. phrases a wealth of experience (= a lot of useful experience ) • Between them, the management team have a wealth of experience. lack of experience • My colleagues kept making comments about about my lack of experience. experience 2 adjectives personal experience • He spoke from personal experience about the harmful effects of taking drugs. life experience (= experience that comes from life ) • As an older parent, your life experience is one of your greatest assets. bitter experience (= experience that makes you feel disappointed or upset ) • I knew from bitter experience how unreliable she could be. everyday experience (= experience of normal life ) • Hunger is part of everyday experience for these children. verbs know/learn from experience • Janet knew from experience that love doesn't always last. speak from experience • The miners spoke from experience about the dangers of their work. lack experience • Many men in their twenties lack experience and social skills. experience suggests/shows something • Experience suggests that children who commit crimes will continue to offend as adults. phrases lack of experience • He was embarrassed about his lack of experience with women. experience 3 ADJECTIVES/NOUN + experience a good/bad experience • On the whole, going to boarding school was a good experience for him. • I've had some bad experiences when I've been travelling on my own. positive/negative • The entire experience has been very positive. • Many people reported having negative experiences when dealing with their local council. enjoyable/pleasant • We want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. • She recalled pleasant experiences from her past. memorable/unforgettable (= a good experience that you will remember for a long time ) • Meeting the queen was a memorable experience. painful (= one that is very upsetting ) • Her family supported her through the painful experience. traumatic/harrowing (= one that is shocking and upsetting, and affects you for a long time ) • Having an operation can be a traumatic experience for a child. new • The club scene was a whole new experience for me. childhood experiences • Our childhood experiences make us what we are as adults. a religious experience (= one that makes someone believe strongly in God ) • As a young man he had a profound religious experience. an everyday/commonplace experience (= one that is typical of normal life ) • The sound of gunfire is an everyday experience in the city.