Dictionary

trial and error en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The process of finding a solution to a problem by trying many possible solutions and learning from mistakes until success is attained.
   • Navigating by trial and error may get you there eventually, but using a map is faster.
   • Trial and error was a big part of the process: "We need to fail down here so we don't fail up there," [Neil] Armstrong insists, though even some of the mistakes and malfunctions at ground level cause devastating casualties. 2018 October 9, A. A. Dowd, “The Star and Director of La La Land Reunite for First Man’s Spectacular Trip to the Moon”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2020:
   • The Omtech 60W MOPA is available with autofocus, which automatically sets the correct focal height and eliminates much of the trial and error in setup. 2026 August 14, Logan Wittmer, “Omtech 60W Autofocus MOPA Fiber Laser”, in Popular Woodworking, volume 290, number 4, page 10:

Forms

Relateds

empirical · brute force · suck it and see

Translations (38)

cmn 試錯 /试错 (solution by learning from mistakes) · vi phương pháp thử và sai (solution by learning from mistakes) · hu próbálgatás (solution by learning from mistakes) · hu próbálkozás (solution by learning from mistakes) · nb prøving og feiling (solution by learning from mistakes) · es probatura y error (solution by learning from mistakes) · hu kísérletezés (solution by learning from mistakes) · es prueba y error (solution by learning from mistakes) · nn prøving og feiling (solution by learning from mistakes) · ru ме́тод проб и оши́бок (solution by learning from mistakes) · es ensayo y error (solution by learning from mistakes) · cmn 嘗試錯誤 /尝试错误 (solution by learning from mistakes) · pl metoda prób i błędów (solution by learning from mistakes) · tl babaso (solution by learning from mistakes) · he נִסּוּי וּטְעִיָּה (solution by learning from mistakes) · nl trial-and-error (solution by learning from mistakes) · ru ме́тод ты́ка (solution by learning from mistakes) · de Versuch und Irrtum (solution by learning from mistakes) · sk pokus-omyl (solution by learning from mistakes) · de trial and error (solution by learning from mistakes) · it tentativi ed errori (solution by learning from mistakes) · ar التَّجْرِبَة وَالْخَطَأ (solution by learning from mistakes) · es tanteo (solution by learning from mistakes) · ca tempteig (solution by learning from mistakes) · tr deneme yanılma (solution by learning from mistakes) · tl pagsubok at pagkakamali (solution by learning from mistakes) · th ลองผิดลองถูก (solution by learning from mistakes) · ca assaig i error (solution by learning from mistakes) · ca prova i error (solution by learning from mistakes) · fa آزمون و خطا (solution by learning from mistakes) · ja 試行錯誤 (solution by learning from mistakes) · pt tentativa e erro (solution by learning from mistakes) · fi yritys ja erehdys (solution by learning from mistakes) · ca tanteig (solution by learning from mistakes) · fa سعی و خطا (solution by learning from mistakes) · it prove ed errori (solution by learning from mistakes) · fr tâtonnement (solution by learning from mistakes) · ko 시행착오 (solution by learning from mistakes)