Another Word for Experience: 20 Synonyms with Examples
Experience is knowledge or skill gained by doing something, or an event that happens to you; as a verb it means to live through. Swap it to be clearer about which you mean.
As a noun: knowledge gained by doing something
- expertise
- practice
- know-how
- background
- familiarity
- knowledge
- track record
As a noun: an event that happens to you
- event
- incident
- episode
- occurrence
- encounter
- adventure
- ordeal
As a verb: to live through or feel
- undergo
- go through
- encounter
- face
- feel
- suffer
- meet
Need a different word?Look up any word in the synonym finder →
How they differ
Synonyms share a meaning, not always a tone. Here is when to pick each of the main options.
- expertise
- Specialist skill, not just time spent doing something.
- background
- A person's past work and education as a whole.
- track record
- Past performance, used to judge how someone will do.
- incident
- A single event, often unpleasant or unusual.
- ordeal
- A painful or frightening experience.
- undergo
- To experience something, usually a process or change; formal.
Example sentences
- expertise: The charity needs volunteers with financial expertise.
- background: She has a background in nursing.
- track record: The builder has a good track record of finishing on time.
- incident: Staff reported the incident to the manager.
- ordeal: The climbers were exhausted after their ordeal on the mountain.
- undergo: The bridge will undergo repairs next summer.
Opposite of experience
- inexperience
More from WordNet
Less common or more specialised words WordNet lists for other senses of “experience”. Check the meaning before you use one.
verb: see, know, live, receive, have, get
WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Used under the WordNet licence.
Frequently asked questions
What is another word for “experience”?
The most useful alternatives are “expertise”, “practice”, “know-how”, “background”, “familiarity”. For the main sense (knowledge gained by doing something), “expertise” is usually the closest swap.
What is the difference between “expertise” and “background”?
expertise: Specialist skill, not just time spent doing something. background: A person's past work and education as a whole.
What is the opposite of “experience”?
Common antonyms are “inexperience”.