Experience Synonyms | Uses & Examples
Experience is a noun that means “knowledge” or “happening” and a verb that means “to undergo.”
Some synonyms for experience are:
- Skills
- Expertise
- Proficiency
- Background
- Acumen
- Savvy
- Know-how
- Event
- Occurrence
- Time
- Have
- Endure
- Face
Synonyms for experience
Some synonyms for experience meaning “knowledge” are stronger than others. For example, “skills” and “expertise” can usually be substituted for experience with minimal change to meaning or grammar.
On the other hand, using “familiarity” and “awareness” in place of experience would change the meaning of the sentence slightly, as these words suggest a lower degree of knowledge.
| Match | Synonym | Experience example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Skills | Her internship was unpaid. Nevertheless, she gained valuable experience from it. | Her internship was unpaid. Nevertheless, she gained valuable skills from it. |
| Expertise | Her experience as an advisor made me feel comfortable right away. | Her expertise as an advisor made me feel comfortable right away. | |
| Proficiency | Abdul’s experience in multiple languages was impressive. | Abdul’s proficiency in multiple languages was impressive. | |
| Strong | Background | Lu’s experience in finance helped her secure her new role. | Lu’s background in finance helped her secure her new role. |
| Acumen | Jai’s business experience made him the perfect person to be CEO. | Jai’s business acumen made him the perfect person to be CEO. | |
| Savvy | He’s an excellent academic, but lacks the experience needed outside the classroom. | He’s an excellent academic, but lacks the savvy needed outside the classroom. | |
| Know-how | We’re looking to fill this position with someone with technical experience. | We’re looking to fill this position with someone with technical know-how. | |
| Weak | Familiarity | The model’s experience in the industry was evident in how comfortable she was during the photo shoot. | The model’s familiarity with the industry was evident in how comfortable she was during the photo shoot. |
| Awareness | Rachel has experience with the town laws. | Rachel has awareness of the town laws. |
The same goes for synonyms for experience meaning “happening.” The strongest matches are good overall replacements. Other synonyms have slightly different meanings or connotations than experience.
For example, “encounter” refers to a meeting. And while experience is a neutral word—you can have a bad experience or a good experience—some synonyms carry a positive connotation (“adventure”) or a negative connotation (“episode” and “incident”).
If you have any doubt about which synonym is best for your intended meaning, try QuillBot’s free Paraphraser.
| Match | Synonym | Experience example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Event | The concert was an unforgettable experience for everyone. | The concert was an unforgettable event for everyone. |
| Occurrence | The sudden experience of an earthquake startled the country. | The sudden occurrence of an earthquake startled the country. | |
| Time | We had a great experience at the desert resort. | We had a great time at the desert resort. | |
| Strong | Encounter | Meeting his idol was an unforgettable experience for Jack. | Meeting his idol was an unforgettable encounter for Jack. |
| Adventure | Backpacking through Europe was the best experience of my life. | Backpacking through Europe was the best adventure of my life. | |
| Episode | Lucas had many painful experiences in high school, but he’s definitely more resilient because of them. | Lucas had many painful episodes in high school, but he’s definitely more resilient because of them. | |
| Incident | Mara’s been afraid of seagulls ever since she had a terrifying experience at the beach as a child. | Mara’s been afraid of seagulls ever since she had a terrifying incident at the beach as a child. |
Similarly, synonyms for experience meaning “to undergo” vary in their match strength. Good general replacements for experience are “have,” “endure,” or “face.” Weaker synonyms may refer to specific types of perception (e.g., “see” or “feel”) or carry a positive (e.g., “enjoy”) or negative (e.g., “suffer”) connotation.
| Match | Synonym | Experience example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Have | Almost every human will experience the common cold at least once in their life. | Almost every human will have the common cold at least once in their life. |
| Endure | Justin experienced many hardships as a child, but he went on to achieve great things. | Justin endured many hardships as a child, but he went on to achieve great things. | |
| Face | Lana experienced complications when her first child was born, so the doctors recommended a Cesarean for the second. | Lana faced complications when her first child was born, so the doctors recommended a Cesarean for the second. | |
| Strong | See | Try to hold on to the beautiful moments you experience in life. | Try to hold on to the beautiful moments you see in life. |
| Feel | Marianne tried to prepare her younger sister for the first time she’d experience heartbreak. | Marianne tried to prepare her younger sister for the first time she’d feel heartbreak. | |
| Know | Thankfully, my family has never experienced poverty. | Thankfully, my family has never known poverty. | |
| Witness | Cleo doesn’t want to experience history in the making; she wants a calm and cozy life. | Cleo doesn’t want to witness history in the making; she wants a calm and cozy life. | |
| Weak | Enjoy | They experience great privilege, whether they realize it or not. | They enjoy great privilege, whether they realize it or not. |
| Bear | The team experienced immense pressure before the final. | The team bore immense pressure before the final. | |
| Go through | Rob experienced a difficult breakup last year. | Rob went through a difficult breakup last year. | |
| Live through | My grandmother experienced war as a child, but her family was able to emigrate. | My grandmother lived through war as a child, but her family was able to emigrate. | |
| Suffer | Dan experienced great pain after the surgery. | Dan suffered great pain after the surgery. |
Experience synonyms for a resume
When it appears on a resume, experience usually means “skills.” However, experience can be vague in this context, and a synonym may be a better option. When making a resume, use action verbs and strong, descriptive nouns to show off your skills and knowledge.
| Synonym | Focus | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Expertise | You’re an expert on the topic | Expertise in digital marketing and SEO strategies. |
| Mastery | You’ve mastered the topic | Mastery of graphic design software such as Adobe Photoshop. |
| Proficiency | You’re very good/skilled at the topic (most often used for languages and tools) | Proficiency in Python and data analysis tools. |
| Hands-on experience | Your experience comes from doing, not theory | Hands-on experience in software development. |
| Track record | You have past experience you can prove (if possible, with quantifiable results) | Proven track record of increasing sales by 30%. |
| Success | You have past achievements you can prove (if possible, with quantifiable results) | Demonstrable success in launching marketing campaigns. |
| Background | You have training and education in the topic | Strong background in project management. |
| Specialization | You’re particularly knowledgeable about a subset of your field | Specialization in pediatric nursing and patient care. |
Frequently asked questions about experience synonyms
- What’s a synonym for personal experience?
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Synonyms for “personal experience” include:
- First-hand knowledge
- Direct encounter
- Lived experience
- Life experience
- Anecdote
Find more synonyms for “personal experience” or synonyms for experience with QuillBot’s free Paraphraser.
- What’s a synonym for work experience?
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Synonyms for “work experience” include:
- Work history
- Employment history
- Career background
- Professional experience
- Industry experience
“Work experience” is often used as a heading on a resume. In this context, the best synonym would be “work history,” “employment history,” or “professional experience.”
You can use QuillBot’s free Paraphraser to help you find more synonyms for “work experience” or synonyms for experience.
- What’s a synonym for learning experience?
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Synonyms for “learning experience” include:
- Lesson
- Life lesson
- Epiphany
- Eureka moment
- Enlightenment
- Realization
- Formative experience
Find more synonyms for “learning experience” or synonyms for experience with QuillBot’s free Paraphraser.
- What’s a synonym for bad experience?
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Some synonyms for “bad experience” are:
- Disappointment
- Bummer
- Downer
- Drag
- Ordeal
- Misadventure
- Fiasco
- Debacle
- Disaster
- Nightmare
Find synonyms for “bad experience” or synonyms for experience using QuillBot’s Paraphraser.
