Middle English Dictionary Entry
expērience n.
Entry Info
| Forms | expērience n. |
| Etymology | OF; L experientia. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
Phil. The method or process of acquiring knowledge or understanding by observation, esp. through sensory perception, as opposed to gaining knowledge through logical inference or speculation; inductive reasoning leading from observed facts to conclusions, general ideas, or theories.
Associated quotations
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4690 : Thou shalt [wite] withouten science, And knowe withouten experience, The thyng that may not knowen be.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)119/36 : Men may wel preuen be experience and sotyle compassement of wytt þat..men myghte go be schippe all aboute the world & abouen & beneþen.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)2b/b : Þe teching doctrine..which is made hole by experience & by reson in which þinges bene serched & voices bene refused.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)3/35 : Auicen..seiþ, 'experience ouercomeþ reson'.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)56b/a : Galien saiþ..hit is seen experience to bere witnesse to resoun.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)465 : He schal take þanne bi experience [as opposed to 'doom of resoun'] what he wole not bileeue here bi credence.
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)14 : Was þer kunning of good & yuel in þe appil?..Bifore þe synne wiste man boþe good & yuel, good bi experience, & yuel bi science.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.245 : They trowen no þing bot experience.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)9/16 : Ech doctoure..takiþ al þat he writiþ bi doom of resoun or bi experience of sensual witt, except what eny doctour writiþ bi rehercyng of eny text of feiþ..in þe bible.
1b.
Demonstration, proof, or confirmation of a proposition, theory, or expectation on the basis of facts observed or investigated; demonstratio ad oculos; sheuen experience, present evidence, demonstrate.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.764 : For thelementz ben servicable To man, and ofte of Accidence, As men mai se thexperience.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.788 : To the outreste preue of hir corage Fully to han experience and loore If that she were as stedefast as bifore.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)158 : I had hereof [of healing power] good experyence.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.1.27 : And than had I of this conclusioun the ful experience.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)788 : I preve hyt thus..By experience; for yf that thow Throwe on water now a stoon [etc.].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)241/299 : As I haue prechyd in placys A-bowth And shewyd experyence to man and wyf In to þis werd goddys sone hath sowth Ffor veray loue man to revyfe.
- c1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Tbr A.7)18576 : Speculatyff and the practyk Off this scole be not lyk; Ffor speculatyff..With-outen good experience Avaylith lytle or ellis nought.
2.
(a) The action of observing, seeing with one's own eyes, hearing with one's own ears, investigating, testing, or experimenting; observation, investigation, experiment; also, what is found out by investigation or experiment, discovery; taken (maken) experience, make an observation or investigation; observe, investigate; (b) finden in (bi) experience, finden experience, find out, make a discovery, discover.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2238 : Thexperience so preueth euery day The treson whiche that womman dooth to man.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2057 : The reuers shaltow se..And preue it by thyn owene experience That wyn ne dooth to folk no swich offence.
- a1400 CMSoul (Bod 923)261 : Be comownyng & be experience of word outward.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)110/23 : Þei worschipen..suche [things] as þei han preued & assayed be experience of longe tyme.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)65b/b : Þis [medecene] is proued forsoþ bi experiens [L experientia].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)34a/b : After þe doctrine of Albucasis whom in þis al men seweþ, outtake in experience [L in experiendo] .i. prouyng þe materie with intromissis .i. sercherez.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)138/170 : Þus experiens treule me tolde, Þat walkis amongis ȝoue euer spyyng What ȝe doþ.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)8.47 : Nowe have I made inoculacion Of pere and appultree: The experience Hath preved wel.
- (1449) RParl.5.147b : The whiche Prynce..seeyng experyence the grete contynuall and daily damages that ther ben don by the Adversaries.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.3.83 : By experience I wot wel that..in taking of a just ascendent in a portatif Astrelabie it is harde to knowe [etc.].
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)358/19 : Herbes, the whiche were brought to þe phisiciens for to proue thayme and to make the experience [vr. for to put hem in preef by experyence].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)878 : Thou shalt have..Of every word of thys sentence A preve by experience, And with thyne eres heren wel Top and tayl.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)120 : Hast þou founde me on kynde or ellis ontrewe. Take now trewe experiens wheþir þou haue chosen a trosti ministir or nowt.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)2.1230 : Where stody and wytte is in experiens..of wysdam it bereth the keye.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)11/41 : By auctoryte of experyence.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)11492 : Experyence off physyk Ys ffled now fro vnyuersytes And dwelleth in borwes & cytes.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)83/39 : Þe craft of gregeys..en whom none esperience was disceyuable.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4168 : [Many] han wel founden by experience That dremes ben significaciouns As wel of ioye as of tribulaciouns.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2458 : With gret diligence Thei founden thilke experience, Which cleped is Alconomie, Wherof the Selver multeplie Thei made.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1010 : For ȝe schal fynde in experience, With-oute feynyng, sothe al þat I telle.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.53 : He is ded, to oure encres of Ioie..As þei shal fynde in experience.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)69a/b : Hem þat founde newe experiencez discording, I had hem suspecte.
3.
What is observed or experienced by the senses, sense perceptions; something seen, heard, felt, etc.; personal or practical experience, practice; experience of time, experience in worldly or temporal things.
Associated quotations
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.3001 : Ther nedeth noon auctoritee to allegge For it is proued by experience.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.217 : So as thou hast experience Of love.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.321 : Thus hath this king experience Hou foles don the reverence To gold.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1 : Experience thogh noon auctoritee Were in this world is right ynogh for me To speke of wo that is in mariage.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)18b/a : He [the devil] is scharp in witte of kynde and by experiens of tyme.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2799 : Of ȝeris passed olde experience Hath ȝoue to hem so passyng hiȝe prudence.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1283 : Here may men seen that mercy passeth right; Th'experience of that is felt in me.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)3b/a : It byhoueþ þat he be experte and see oþer men wirke..It byhoueþ euery leche first for to konne and afterward to haue vse & experience.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)169a/a : Al mollificatiuez..bene made resolutifes, as haþ experience. & lamfranc & henricus also witnesseþ it.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)143/33 : Þus sche knewe be experiens þat it was a ryth trewe spiryt.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.2193 : Who halt hym euer upon hih mounteyns Fynt gret experience of blastis & of shours.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.2 Merch.(Hrl 2255)488 : Alle wyves..Suffryng and meeke they been..men make experience Of her lownesse.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)13/16 : Summe of hem knew it be experiens, at Rome was more liberte ȝoue on-to skoleres.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking (Hrl 2340:Halliwell)303 : The which thu schalt do better by experience then thorgh the techyng of this boke, and in all poynts of hawkyng experience is chef.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)8792 : She [memory] is a tresourere Off konnyng & of sciencys, And off all Experyencys That be commyttyd to hyr garde.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)91 : We se wele by experience, þat if any man must nedis passe the See to þe holy lond [etc.].
- a1500 St.Jerome (Lamb 432)344/18 : Yf any man alyve knewe the paynys [of hell] by experience.
- c1500 Late as I (Rwl C.86)76 : For mercy to geve I am redy; Thus shewith experience by expresse.
4.
Knowledge, information, 'know-how', or skill acquired through personal experience or practice; expert knowledge; also, good practical sense, understanding, or wisdom (as distinct from natural intelligence).
Associated quotations
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2359 : But looke alwey that thy conseillours..be trewe wise and of old experience.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1073 : And of old time how it hath be I finde a gret experience, Wherof to take an evidence Good is.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.161 : Algorismes..Be which multiplicacioun Is mad and diminucioun Of sommes be thexperience Of this Art and of this science.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1478 : Hermes Above alle othre in this science [astronomy] He hadde a gret experience.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3859 : For vn-to age experience and witte, To ȝouthe force and hardines[se] sitte.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5982 : [Calchas] had experience Specyally of calculacioun..And lernyd was in astronomye.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3769 : Þei..han in armys gret experience.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2815 : He..hadde in magik grete experience.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.418 : Reedyng off bookis bryngith in vertu..Makith a prynce to haue experience.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.3.40 : And in this wise had I the experience for evermo in which manere I shulde knowe the tyde of the day and eke myn ascendent.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.15.8b : I haue..experience of wisdam my selffe to demeane.
- a1456(a1407) Scogan MB (Ashm 59)55 : Shapeþe of vertue so to plante the roote, þat yee þere-of haue ful exparience, To worship of youre lyf and soules boote.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)143/33 : Thei asked hym [Plato] by experience in what maner might good counsel be yeuen; he aunsuerd..by right grete experience or by natural witte.