Experientialism is a philosophy that emphasizes personal experience as the basis for understanding reality. Synonyms for this word include empiricism, which also emphasizes the importance of sensory experience in determining knowledge, and pragmatism, which focuses on the usefulness of beliefs and actions in achieving practical goals. Other related words include phenomenology, which explores the nature of human experience, and existentialism, which emphasizes individual existence and freedom. Each of these words highlights a slightly different aspect of experientialism, but all share a fundamental belief in the importance of experience in shaping our understanding of the world around us.