sole experience

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sole experience" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize that a particular experience is the only one someone has had in a specific context or situation. Example: "Her sole experience in the field was during her internship last summer."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

His sole experience in office has been as governor of Texas for six boom years.

The Economist

But the player who will most vivify Arsenal is the teenager whose sole experience of Arsenal first-team football has been those two cup defeats.

The Guardian - Sport

His appearance had insulated him from overt racism in France, his sole experience of which was when, after winning an important comics prize in 2010, he received letters calling him a "dirty Arab".

The New Yorker

The prime minister's sole experience of leadership had been in the Labour Party, where he had achieved his aim making the party electable by ruthlessly imposing his will from the top.

The Economist

Remarkably, since Ms. Makarova's sole experience of staging was setting the "Shades" act for Ballet Theater in 1974, she mounted the elaborate production for Ballet Theater, where she was a principal dancer, almost single-handedly.

The New York Times - Arts

My sole experience acting for television was a small role as Cleo Alexander, a mythology professor at Columbia University, in the final season of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Until then, my sole festival experience involved going to the Essential festival in Hackney 13 years ago; an experience that involved getting backache, buying criminally overpriced burgers and generally waiting for a million separate meet-the-band "On bass!

The Guardian - Music

Turkey's sole previous experience with an Islamic-minded government ended in 1997 when the military forced it from power.

The New York Times

Their backgrounds were perhaps further apart, with B.D. projecting a certain Malibu cool at a time when Callie's sole movie experience to date had been a nature documentary called "Beaver Valley".

The New Yorker

(But the sole international experience listed by MSNBC is her coverage of the Olympics in Australia for the network and her work as an associate producer for ABC News during the 1991 meeting between Mikhail S. Gorbachev and George Bush in Russia and the 1993 meeting between Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin in Vancouver).

The New York Times

So, no thanks, I would not be going to Luton at 7am on 10 November to meet a 28-year-old shipping magnate named Stelios Haji-Ioannou whose sole aviation experience was as a passenger, yet who thought he could launch an airline.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "sole experience" to underscore the limited or unique nature of someone's background or exposure to a particular situation. This emphasizes the significance of that single encounter.

Common error

Avoid using "sole experience" when the uniqueness isn't relevant. Overusing "sole" can dilute its impact; reserve it for cases where the singularity truly matters.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sole experience" functions as a noun phrase, where "sole" modifies the noun "experience". According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

20%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "sole experience" is a grammatically sound and usable expression, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, employed to underscore the singularity or uniqueness of an experience. It effectively highlights that an encounter is the only one of its kind in a particular situation. While versatile and appearing in contexts from News & Media to Science, its power lies in emphasizing limitation or uniqueness. Alternatives include "only experience" and "unique experience". When using the phrase, ensure it aligns with your intent to emphasize singularity, avoiding overuse to maintain its impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

only experience

Replaces "sole" with "only", emphasizing the singularity of the experience.

unique experience

Highlights the distinctiveness of the experience.

singular experience

Emphasizes that the experience is one of a kind.

exclusive experience

Suggests that the experience is not shared or common.

unparalleled experience

Implies that the experience is unmatched in quality or kind.

lone experience

Focuses on the isolation or lack of other similar experiences.

single experience

A more literal substitution emphasizing just one instance.

unrepeated experience

Highlights the non-recurring nature of the experience.

one-time experience

Indicates the experience happened only once.

maiden experience

Suggests the experience is the first of its kind for the individual.

FAQs

How can I use "sole experience" in a sentence?

You can use "sole experience" to highlight that someone's background or exposure to something is limited to a single instance. For example, "His sole experience in management was as a volunteer project leader."

What are some alternatives to using "sole experience"?

You can use alternatives like "only experience", "unique experience", or "singular experience" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "sole experience"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The word "sole" is an adjective meaning 'only' or 'single', and it can modify the noun "experience".

What's the difference between "sole experience" and "extensive experience"?

"Sole experience" indicates a single or limited encounter, while "extensive experience" implies a wide range or large amount of exposure to something. They are near antonyms.