experience

Related to experience: experienced, thesaurus

chalk (something) up to experience

To regard a bad situation, action, or outcome as a learning experience rather than dwelling on its negative impact. I know you're upset about failing your exam, but just chalk it up to experience and try harder next time!
See also: chalk, experience, up

experience is the best teacher

proverb Most wisdom is gained by experiencing different things (compared to acquiring knowledge through schooling or other means). A few years ago, I couldn't even get behind the wheel without having panic attacks, but, with practice, I'm much calmer and can drive with no problems. Experience is the best teacher after all.
See also: experience, teacher

experience is the father of wisdom

proverb Most wisdom is gained by experiencing different things (compared to acquiring knowledge through schooling or other means). A few years ago, I couldn't even get behind the wheel without having panic attacks, but, with practice, I'm much calmer and can drive with no problems. Experience is the father of wisdom after all.
See also: experience, father, of, wisdom

experience is the mother of wisdom

proverb Most wisdom is gained by experiencing different things (compared to acquiring knowledge through schooling or other means). A few years ago, I couldn't even get behind the wheel without having panic attacks, but, with practice, I'm much calmer and can drive with no problems. Experience is the mother of wisdom after all.
See also: experience, mother, of, wisdom

experience is the teacher of fools

Foolish people only learn from personal experience, rather than witnessing others' mistakes. After watching Alex's failed attempt at the experiment, I realized what we were doing wrong. Experience is the teacher of fools.
See also: experience, fool, of, teacher

growth experience

An experience that helps or allows one to change and mature. That painful break-up was ultimately a growth experience—now, I only date people who truly care about me.
See also: experience, growth

harrowing experience

An experience that is frightening, chilling, or disturbing, either due to an implied or actual element of danger, or from being physically or emotionally unpleasant. With so much traffic, cycling in this city can be a harrowing experience. Walking through that graveyard last night was quite the harrowing experience. The film is very good, but it's a bit of a harrowing experience; it doesn't shy away from intense subject matter.
See also: experience

jarring experience

An experience that creates an acute sense of shock, confusion, or bewilderment. That car accident was such a jarring experience, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep for days. You need better use of transitional sentences in your paper. Jumping from point to point like that will be a jarring experience for the reader.
See also: experience, jar

learning experience

An experiences that teaches one something. I didn't love that job, but it was a good learning experience and showed me that I need to work in a different field.
See also: experience, learning

once-in-a-lifetime experience

An experience that seems highly unlikely to happen again. Going to Disneyland as a young child is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's just not the same if you go when you're older.
See also: experience

put (something) down to experience

To regard a bad situation, action, or outcome as a learning experience rather than dwelling on its negative impact. I know you're upset about failing your exam, but just put it down to experience and study harder next time.
See also: down, experience, put

speak from experience

To talk (about something) having had prior experience and thus a more credible or worthwhile viewpoint. I'm speaking from experience when I tell you that a robust investment portfolio is absolutely critical to achieve the kind of pension you desire. A: "Sarah said to have a lawyer look over the contract to make sure it's all above board." B: "Well, I know she speaks from experience, so I would listen to her."
See also: experience, speak
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Experience is the best teacher.

Prov. You will learn more from things that happen to you in real life than you will from hearing about or studying things that happen to other people. I don't care how many books you read about how to run a business; experience is the best teacher. The nurse believed that experience was the best teacher when it came to developing a bedside manner, so she made sure that all her students spent a lot of time with patients.
See also: experience, teacher

Experience is the father of wisdom,

 and Experience is the mother of wisdom.
Prov. The more that happens to you, the more you will learn. I never understood why supervisors got so frustrated with me until I became a supervisor and got frustrated with my subordinates. Experience was definitely the mother of wisdom, in my case.
See also: experience, father, of, wisdom

Experience is the teacher of fools.

Prov. Only fools do not learn after seeing other people's mistakes and insist on repeating them. Father: You should spend more time studying and less time having fun with your friends. If I had been a better student when I was your age, I'd have a better job now. Son: Oh, come on, Dad. School's worthless. Father: Don't make the same mistake I did! Experience is the teacher of fools.
See also: experience, fool, of, teacher

growth experience

 and growth opportunity; learning experience
Euph. an unpleasant experience. This job has been a growth experience for me. I've learned so much. Jim said that his trip to Mexico turned out to be a real learning experience.
See also: experience, growth
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

put something down to experience

or

chalk something up to experience

COMMON If you chalk a failure or bad experience up to experience or put it down to experience, you do not get very upset about it because you will learn from it in the future. I was disappointed not to win, but I've just got to chalk it up to experience and go on. They could have parted friends and put the whole incident down to experience.
See also: down, experience, put, something
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

put something down to exˈperience

(also chalk it up to exˈperience especially American English ) accept a failure, loss, etc. as being something that you can learn from: When her second novel was rejected by the publisher, she put it down to experience and began another one.
See also: down, experience, put, something
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • chalk (something) up to experience
  • put (something) down to experience
  • put something down to experience
  • FISHMO
  • have regard to (something)
  • have regard to something
  • regard
References in periodicals archive
Van Iddekinge's research clearly showed that organizations prefer applicants with similar experience.
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(a) Imaginative resistance to the possibility of such an experience machine, such as worries that the machine might not work as well as we think it does.
OUR INTUITIONS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE MACHINE
A brand-led customer experience strategy builds on existing NPS programs by ensuring that, as changes are made to the customer experience, key brand messages are reinforced across all aspects of the experience-at Interbrand, we call these 'Branded Micro-Moments.'
Challenge to firms: Maximize brand power
There are several different ways in which we experience reality.
Experience of God
Several performers came to the project with audiobook experience. In addition to Toussaint (Fortunate Son), they include Underwood (Jack and Jill), Angela Bassett (When Death Comes Stealing), Ruby Dee (Their Eyes Were Watching God), Pamala Tyson (Cover Girls), Forest Whitaker (Duke Ellington), Lisa Renee Pitts (Better Than I Know Myself), Mirron E.
Hear ye, hear ye--the scriptures! Live remix!
Griffiths also plans to explore how brain processes unleashed by psilocybin compare with neural activity in people who experience drug free spiritual epiphanies.
Chemical enlightenment: line up for the scientific, psychedelic mystical tour
John Dewey's quote resonates with my experience conducting research within a service learning context for a master's thesis; I "suffered" and have undergone the consequences.
A service learning master's thesis on asthma
Benefit from your consultant's breadth of experience.
How to get the most out of your financial aid consultant: these 10 principles outline a productive institution/consultant relationship
He hired two with health plan experience and two directly out of clinical practice.
Fly the coop: escaping the physician executive pigeonhole
General Accounting Experience -- Since audit hours are no longer required, CPA candidates can acquire the experience needed for licensing from any actively licensed CPA in California.
Grow the ranks: fewer candidates are becoming certified--help turn the tide
The parent or teacher or professor starts with an experience, or a discussion of a prior experience, and then asks the learner to analyze the experience: "What are the parts of it?
Process education: a humanistic response to fundamentalism
However, more than thirty empirical studies have documented the risk factors for homesickness, which include little previous experience away from home, insecure attachment to caregivers, low perceived control, preseparation negative attitudes, social disconnection, and significant cultural and environmental shifts.
The ACA Camp Research Symposium: practical knowledge for your camp
Because adolescents are typically in a time of identity versus role confusion (Erikson, 1950/1963), the cognitive dissonance they experience is magnified.
Counseling adolescent students affected by the war in Iraq: using history as a guide
We are looking for a unique combination of experience and skills."
Recruiters report booming growth in ag employment market