Practice vs. Experience — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on September 12, 2023
Practice is the repeated action to improve a skill, while experience is the knowledge gained from encountering various situations.
Difference Between Practice and Experience
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Practice refers to the deliberate and consistent repetition of an activity or skill to improve or maintain proficiency. It's about intentional training, often focused on honing specific aspects of a task. Experience, on the other hand, refers to the understanding and wisdom gained from being in various situations, often over a more extended period.
One can practice an instrument daily, for example, with the intent of mastering it. This practice is a structured endeavor where individuals often challenge themselves to get better. Experience, in this context, would mean having performed at several concerts or played in many real-world situations where each scenario has taught something unique.
In professions, a lawyer might practice by conducting mock trials or studying case law diligently. This regular exercise prepares them for the courtroom. However, the experience comes into play when the lawyer has managed multiple real cases, learning from each about strategies, courtroom dynamics, and client interactions.
Another way to look at it is considering sports. An athlete practices drills, techniques, and strategies to enhance performance. This is a controlled environment emphasizing skill-building. The experience is gained when the athlete competes in actual games, facing unpredicted challenges, and learning from them.
Lastly, while practice can often be solitary and is rooted in repetition, experience tends to be diverse, resulting from a myriad of situations, challenges, and interactions. Both are invaluable, but practice often leads to experience, and experience can then guide more effective practice.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
Repeated action to hone a skill
Knowledge gained from various situations
Nature
Active, intentional
Often passive, incidental
Scope
Specific skill or task
Broad, diverse scenarios
Duration
Can be short-term, based on repetition
Accumulated over time
Result
Improved skill proficiency
Wisdom and understanding of situations
Compare with Definitions
Practice
The regular repetition of an activity to improve skill.
Daily practice makes her an exceptional pianist.
Experience
The knowledge gained from being in various situations.
His experience in marketing makes him an asset to our team.
Practice
The execution or application of a method or activity.
Medical practice has evolved significantly over the decades.
Experience
An event or occurrence affecting an individual.
Skydiving was an exhilarating experience for her.
Practice
The active pursuit of a profession.
She just started her own dental practice.
Experience
The period of time spent in a particular activity.
She has five years of experience in coding.
Practice
Training or exercise for a particular purpose.
The team had an intense practice session before the match.
Experience
The practical contact with facts or events.
Travel broadens one's experience and worldview.
Practice
A customary way of operation or behavior.
It's a common practice in their culture to greet with a bow.
Experience
A particular instance of personally encountering something.
His first trip abroad was a memorable experience.
Practice
The actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it
The principles and practice of teaching
The recommendations proved too expensive to put into practice
Experience
Experience is the process through which conscious organisms perceive the world around them. Experiences can be accompanied by active awareness on the part of the person having the experience, although they need not be.
Practice
The customary, habitual, or expected procedure or way of doing of something
Modern child-rearing practices
Product placement is common practice in American movies
Experience
The apprehension of an object, thought, or emotion through the senses or mind
A child's first experience of snow.
Practice
Repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it
It must have taken a lot of practice to become so fluent
Experience
Active participation in events or activities, leading to the accumulation of knowledge or skill
A lesson taught by experience.
A carpenter with experience in roof repair.
Practice
US spelling of practise
Experience
The knowledge or skill so derived.
Practice
To do or perform habitually or customarily; make a habit of
Practices courtesy in social situations.
Experience
An event or a series of events participated in or lived through.
Practice
To do or perform (something) repeatedly in order to acquire or polish a skill
Practice a dance step.
Experience
The totality of such events in the past of an individual or group.
Practice
To give lessons or repeated instructions to; drill
Practiced the students in handwriting.
Experience
To participate in personally; undergo
Experience a great adventure.
Experienced loneliness.
Practice
To work at, especially as a profession
Practice law.
Experience
The effect upon the judgment or feelings produced by any event, whether witnessed or participated in; personal and direct impressions as contrasted with description or fancies; personal acquaintance; actual enjoyment or suffering.
It was an experience he would not soon forget.
Practice
To carry out in action; observe
Practices a religion piously.
Experience
(countable) An activity one has performed.
Practice
(Obsolete) To plot (something evil).
Experience
(countable) A collection of events and/or activities from which an individual or group may gather knowledge, opinions, and skills.
Practice
To do something repeatedly in order to acquire or polish a skill
With any musical instrument, you need to practice to get better.
Experience
(uncountable) The knowledge thus gathered.
Practice
To work at a profession
How long has that lawyer been practicing?.
Experience
Trial; a test or experiment.
Practice
To do or perform something habitually or repeatedly
Why not practice in the same manner that you preach?.
Experience
(transitive) To observe certain events; undergo a certain feeling or process; or perform certain actions that may alter one or contribute to one's knowledge, opinions, or skills.
Practice
(Archaic) To intrigue or plot.
Experience
Trial, as a test or experiment.
She caused him to make experienceUpon wild beasts.
Practice
A habitual or customary action or way of doing something
Makes a practice of being punctual.
Experience
The effect upon the judgment or feelings produced by any event, whether witnessed or participated in; personal and direct impressions as contrasted with description or fancies; personal acquaintance; actual enjoyment or suffering.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience.
To most men experience is like the stern lights of a ship, which illumine only the track it has passed.
When the consuls . . . came in . . . they knew soon by experience how slenderly guarded against danger the majesty of rulers is where force is wanting.
Those that undertook the religion of our Savior upon his preaching, had no experience of it.
Practice
Repeated performance of an activity in order to learn or perfect a skill
Practice will make you a good musician.
Experience
An act of knowledge, one or more, by which single facts or general truths are ascertained; experimental or inductive knowledge; hence, implying skill, facility, or practical wisdom gained by personal knowledge, feeling or action; as, a king without experience of war.
Whence hath the mind all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer in one word, from experience.
Experience may be acquired in two ways; either, first by noticing facts without any attempt to influence the frequency of their occurrence or to vary the circumstances under which they occur; this is observation; or, secondly, by putting in action causes or agents over which we have control, and purposely varying their combinations, and noticing what effects take place; this is experiment.
Practice
A session of preparation or performance undertaken to acquire or polish a skill
Goes to piano practice weekly.
Scheduled a soccer practice for Saturday.
Experience
To make practical acquaintance with; to try personally; to prove by use or trial; to have trial of; to have the lot or fortune of; to have befall one; to be affected by; to feel; as, to experience pain or pleasure; to experience poverty; to experience a change of views.
The partial failure and disappointment which he had experienced in India.
Practice
(Archaic) The skill so learned or perfected.
Experience
To exercise; to train by practice.
The youthful sailors thus with early careTheir arms experience, and for sea prepare.
Practice
The condition of being skilled through repeated exercise
Out of practice.
Experience
The accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities;
A man of experience
Experience is the best teacher
Practice
The act or process of doing something; performance or action
A theory that is difficult to put into practice.
Experience
The content of direct observation or participation in an event;
He had a religious experience
He recalled the experience vividly
Practice
Exercise of an occupation or profession
The practice of law.
Experience
An event as apprehended;
A surprising experience
That painful experience certainly got our attention
Practice
The business of a professional person
An obstetrician with her own practice.
Experience
Go or live through;
We had many trials to go through
He saw action in Viet Nam
Practice
A habitual or customary action or act
That company engages in questionable business practices. Facial tattooing is a standard practice among certain peoples.
Experience
Have firsthand knowledge of states, situations, emotions, or sensations;
I know the feeling!
Have you ever known hunger?
I have lived a kind of hell when I was a drug addict
The holocaust survivors have lived a nightmare
I lived through two divorces
Practice
(Law) The procedure for trial of cases in a court of law, usually specified by rules.
Experience
Of mental or physical states or experiences;
Get an idea
Experience vertigo
Get nauseous
Undergo a strange sensation
The chemical undergoes a sudden change
The fluid undergoes shear
Receive injuries
Have a feeling
Practice
The act of tricking or scheming, especially with malicious intent.
Experience
Undergo an emotional sensation;
She felt resentful
He felt regret
Practice
A trick, scheme, or intrigue.
Experience
Undergo;
The stocks had a fast run-up
Practice
Repetition of an activity to improve a skill.
He will need lots of practice with the lines before he performs them.
Practice
An organized event for the purpose of performing such repetition.
Being on a team is hard: you're always having to go to practice while everyone else is taking it easy.
I have choir practice every Sunday after church.
Practice
The ongoing pursuit of a craft or profession, particularly in medicine or the fine arts.
Practice
(countable) A place where a professional service is provided, such as a general practice.
She ran a thriving medical practice.
Practice
The observance of religious duties that a church requires of its members.
Practice
A customary action, habit, or behaviour; a manner or routine.
It is the usual practice of employees there to wear neckties only when meeting with customers.
It is good practice to check each door and window before leaving.
Practice
Actual operation or experiment, in contrast to theory.
That may work in theory, but will it work in practice?
Practice
(legal) The form, manner, and order of conducting and carrying on suits and prosecutions through their various stages, according to the principles of law and the rules laid down by the courts.
This firm of solicitors is involved in family law practice.
Practice
Skilful or artful management; dexterity in contrivance or the use of means; stratagem; artifice.
Practice
(math) A easy and concise method of applying the rules of arithmetic to questions which occur in trade and business.
Practice
(US) practise
Practice
Frequently repeated or customary action; habitual performance; a succession of acts of a similar kind; usage; habit; custom; as, the practice of rising early; the practice of making regular entries of accounts; the practice of daily exercise.
A heart . . . exercised with covetous practices.
Practice
Customary or constant use; state of being used.
Obsolete words may be revived when they are more sounding or more significant than those in practice.
Practice
Skill or dexterity acquired by use; expertness.
Practice
Actual performance; application of knowledge; - opposed to theory.
There are two functions of the soul, - contemplation and practice.
There is a distinction, but no opposition, between theory and practice; each, to a certain extent, supposes the other; theory is dependent on practice; practice must have preceded theory.
Practice
Systematic exercise for instruction or discipline; as, the troops are called out for practice; she neglected practice in music.
Practice
Application of science to the wants of men; the exercise of any profession; professional business; as, the practice of medicine or law; a large or lucrative practice.
Practice is exercise of an art, or the application of a science in life, which application is itself an art.
Practice
Skillful or artful management; dexterity in contrivance or the use of means; art; stratagem; artifice; plot; - usually in a bad sense.
He sought to have that by practice which he could not by prayer.
Practice
A easy and concise method of applying the rules of arithmetic to questions which occur in trade and business.
Practice
The form, manner, and order of conducting and carrying on suits and prosecutions through their various stages, according to the principles of law and the rules laid down by the courts.
Practice
To do or perform frequently, customarily, or habitually; to make a practice of; as, to practice gaming.
Practice
To exercise, or follow, as a profession, trade, art, etc., as, to practice law or medicine.
Practice
To exercise one's self in, for instruction or improvement, or to acquire discipline or dexterity; as, to practice gunnery; to practice music.
Practice
To put into practice; to carry out; to act upon; to commit; to execute; to do.
As this advice ye practice or neglect.
Practice
To make use of; to employ.
In malice to this good knight's wife, I practiced Ubaldo and Ricardo to corrupt her.
Practice
To teach or accustom by practice; to train.
In church they are taught to love God; after church they are practiced to love their neighbor.
Practice
To perform certain acts frequently or customarily, either for instruction, profit, or amusement; as, to practice with the broadsword or with the rifle; to practice on the piano.
Practice
To learn by practice; to form a habit.
They shall practice how to live secure.
Practice first over yourself to reign.
Practice
To try artifices or stratagems.
He will practice against thee by poison.
Practice
To apply theoretical science or knowledge, esp. by way of experiment; to exercise or pursue an employment or profession, esp. that of medicine or of law.
[I am] little inclined to practice on others, and as little that others should practice on me.
Practice
A customary way of operation or behavior;
It is their practice to give annual raises
They changed their dietary pattern
Practice
Systematic training by multiple repetitions;
Practice makes perfect
Practice
Translating an idea into action;
A hard theory to put into practice
Differences between theory and praxis of communism
Practice
The exercise of a profession;
The practice of the law
I took over his practice when he retired
Practice
Knowledge of how something is usually done;
It is not the local practice to wear shorts to dinner
Practice
Learn by repetition;
We drilled French verbs every day
Pianists practice scales
Practice
Avail oneself to;
Apply a principle
Practice a religion
Use care when going down the stairs
Use your common sense
Practice non-violent resistance
Practice
Carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions;
Practice law
Practice
Engage in a rehearsal (of)
Common Curiosities
How does practice benefit a learner?
Practice provides a learner with repetition, which solidifies skills and reinforces learning.
Can one have experience without practice?
Yes, one can gain experience without deliberate practice, often through incidental or unexpected situations.
Why is experience considered valuable in a job setting?
Experience indicates exposure to real-world situations, problem-solving, and a deep understanding of a domain.
What is the main purpose of practice?
The main purpose of practice is to improve or maintain proficiency in a specific skill or task.
Is all practice effective?
Not necessarily; effective practice is deliberate, focused, and often requires feedback.
Can experience be a substitute for formal education?
In some fields, practical experience can be as valuable as, or even more valuable than, formal education.
How can one enhance their practice sessions?
One can enhance practice sessions by setting clear goals, seeking feedback, and ensuring consistent repetition.
How is experience acquired?
Experience is acquired through encountering various situations and learning from them.
Is every experience a learning opportunity?
Ideally, yes. Every experience offers insights, but the learning depends on one's reflection and openness.
What role does feedback play in practice?
Feedback provides direction, highlights areas for improvement, and accelerates the benefits of practice.
Does experience always lead to expertise?
Not always; while experience provides exposure, expertise requires reflective learning and often deliberate practice.
Can you measure practice?
Yes, practice can be measured in terms of hours, repetitions, or milestones achieved.
Can experiences be shared?
While one can share stories or lessons from experiences, the personal emotions and nuances might be unique.
Can one have too much experience in a field?
While experience is valuable, adaptability and the willingness to learn new things remain essential, irrespective of experience.
How can one convert practice into meaningful experience?
By applying practiced skills in diverse, real-world situations, one gains meaningful experience.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Request vs. Enquiry
Next Comparison
Cost vs. ExpenditureAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
