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Trial vs Sample - What's the difference?

trial | sample |

As nouns the difference between trial and sample

is that trial is an opportunity to test something out; a test while sample is a part of anything taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen; as, goods are often purchased by samples.

As verbs the difference between trial and sample

is that trial is to carry out a series of tests on (a new product, procedure etc.) before marketing or implementing it while sample is to make or show something similar to; to match.

As an adjective trial

is pertaining to a trial or test.

trial

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) trial, from . More at try.

Noun

(wikipedia trial) (en noun)
  • an opportunity to test something out; a test.
    • They will perform the trials for the new equipment next week.
  • appearance at judicial court.
  • a difficult or annoying experience
    • That boy was a trial to his parents

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Pertaining to a trial or test.
  • Attempted on a provisional or experimental basis.

    • Verb

  • To carry out a series of tests on (a new product, procedure etc.) before marketing or implementing it.
    • The warning system was extensively trialed before being fitted to all our vehicles.
  • To try out (a new player) in a sports team.
    • The team trialled a new young goalkeeper in Saturday's match, with mixed results.

    Derived terms

    * put on trial * trial and error * trial by combat * trial by fire * trial balloon * triality

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) trialis, an adjective formed from .

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Characterized by having three (usually equivalent) components.
  • Triple.
  • (grammar) pertaining to a language form referring to three of something, as people; contrast singular'', ''dual'' and ''plural .
    • No language has a trial number unless it has a dual.

    See also

    *

    Anagrams

    * * English terms with multiple etymologies ----

    sample

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A part of anything taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen; as, goods are often purchased by samples.
    • "I design this but for a sample of what I hope more fully to discuss." -Woodward.
  • (statistics) A subset of a population selected for measurement, observation or questioning, to provide statistical information about the population.
    • "...it is possible it [the Anglo-Saxon race] might stand second to the Scandinavian countries [in average height] if a fair sample of their population were obtained." Francis Galton et al. (1883). Final Report of the Anthropometric Committee, Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 269.
  • (cooking) a small piece of food for tasting, typically given away for free
  • (business) a small piece of some goods, for determining quality, colour, etc., typically given away for free
  • (music) Gratuitous borrowing of easily recognised phases (or moments) from other music (or movies) in a recording, used to emphasize a particular point by implying a certain context.
  • (obsolete) Example; pattern.
  • * Shakespeare
    • a sample to the youngest
  • * Fairfax
    • Thus he concludes, and every hardy knight / His sample followed.

    Synonyms

    * specimen * example

    Verb

  • To make or show something similar to; to match.
  • To take or to test a sample or samples of; as, to sample sugar, teas, wool, cloth.
  • (signal processing) To reduce a continuous signal (such as a sound wave) to a discrete signal.
  • To reuse a portion of (an existing sound recording) in a new song.

    • Anagrams

    *