experimentalist
|ex-per-i-men-tal-ist|
🇺🇸
/ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəlɪst/
🇬🇧
/ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛnt(ə)lɪst/
person who conducts experiments
Etymology
'experimentalist' originates from Modern English, formed from the adjective 'experimental' + the agent-forming suffix '-ist'. 'Experimental' ultimately comes from Latin 'experimentum' (from 'experiri'), where 'experiri' meant 'to try, to test'.
'Experimental' developed via Medieval Latin 'experimentalis' (pertaining to trial) from Latin 'experimentum' (a trial or proof); the English noun 'experimentalist' was later formed by adding the suffix '-ist' (from French/Latin usage for agents) to denote a person who practices experiments.
Initially related to 'pertaining to trial or experiment', the formation 'experimentalist' came to mean specifically 'a person who carries out experiments' and, by extension, 'someone who favors experimental or innovative methods' in creative fields.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who conducts experiments, especially a scientist who uses experimental methods to test hypotheses and gather empirical data.
The experimentalist spent months running trials to test the hypothesis.
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Noun 2
a person who adopts or advocates experimental, innovative, or avant-garde methods in art, music, or other creative fields.
As an experimentalist in music, she blends electronic noise with classical structures.
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Last updated: 2025/10/26 20:02