Meanings
plural trials and errors
- uncountableusuallyThe 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.
2 more examples
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 2020The 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 28, Logan Wittmer, “Omtech 60W Autofocus MOPA Fiber Laser”, in Popular Woodworking, volume 290, number 4, page 10
Translations
Arabic التَّجْرِبَة وَالْخَطَأ
- التَّجْرِبَة وَالْخَطَأsolution by learning from mistakes
Catalan prova i error, assaig i error
- prova i errorsolution by learning from mistakes
- assaig i errorsolution by learning from mistakes
- tempteigsolution by learning from mistakes
- tanteigsolution by learning from mistakes
Chinese Mandarin 嘗試錯誤 /尝试错误, 試錯 /试错
- 嘗試錯誤 /尝试错误 (chángshì cuòwù)solution by learning from mistakes
- 試錯 /试错 (shìcuò)solution by learning from mistakes
Dutch trial-and-error
- trial-and-errorsolution by learning from mistakes
Finnish yritys ja erehdys
- yritys ja erehdyssolution by learning from mistakes
French tâtonnement
- tâtonnementsolution by learning from mistakes
German trial and error, Versuch und Irrtum
- trial and errorsolution by learning from mistakes
- Versuch und Irrtumsolution by learning from mistakes
Hebrew נִסּוּי וּטְעִיָּה
- נִסּוּי וּטְעִיָּה (nisúy ute'iyá)solution by learning from mistakes
Hungarian próbálgatás, próbálkozás
- próbálgatássolution by learning from mistakes
- próbálkozássolution by learning from mistakes
- kísérletezéssolution by learning from mistakes
Italian prove ed errori, tentativi ed errori
- prove ed errorisolution by learning from mistakes
- tentativi ed errorisolution by learning from mistakes
Japanese 試行錯誤
- 試行錯誤 (shikō sakugo)solution by learning from mistakes
Korean 시행착오
- 시행착오 (sihaengchago)solution by learning from mistakes
Norwegian Bokmål prøving og feiling
- prøving og feilingsolution by learning from mistakes
Persian آزمون و خطا, سعی و خطا
- آزمون و خطا (âzmun-o-xatâ)solution by learning from mistakes
- سعی و خطا (sa'y-o-xatâ)solution by learning from mistakes
Polish metoda prób i błędów
- metoda prób i błędówsolution by learning from mistakes
Portuguese tentativa e erro
- tentativa e errosolution by learning from mistakes
Russian ме́тод проб и оши́бок, ме́тод ты́ка
- ме́тод проб и оши́бок (métod prob i ošíbok)solution by learning from mistakes
- ме́тод ты́ка (métod týka)solution by learning from mistakes
Slovak pokus-omyl
- pokus-omylsolution by learning from mistakes
Spanish ensayo y error, tanteo
- ensayo y errorsolution by learning from mistakes
- tanteosolution by learning from mistakes
- probatura y errorsolution by learning from mistakes
- prueba y errorsolution by learning from mistakes
Tagalog pagsubok at pagkakamali, babaso
- pagsubok at pagkakamalisolution by learning from mistakes
- babasosolution by learning from mistakes
Thai ลองผิดลองถูก
- ลองผิดลองถูก (lɔɔng-pìt lɔɔng-tùuk)solution by learning from mistakes
Turkish deneme yanılma
- deneme yanılmasolution by learning from mistakes
Vietnamese phương pháp thử và sai
- phương pháp thử và saisolution by learning from mistakes
Cite this entry
trial and error. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trial%20and%20error
“trial and error.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trial%20and%20error. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trial and error,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trial%20and%20error.
Source: trial and error on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.