Synonyms

exam

¹ American

[ig-zam] / ɪgˈzæm /

noun

Informal.

an examination, as in school.

exam. ² American

abbreviation

examination.
examined.
examinee.
examiner.

exam British

/ ɪɡˈzæm /

noun

short for examination

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of exam

First recorded in 1875–80; short form

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

SACRAMENTO—Inside an exam room at this bustling Planned Parenthood center, a clinician prepared six syringes.

From The Wall Street Journal

We also learn how to ask for feedback, like in a meeting with a professor after an exam, and we learn norms like how formal we should be in-person versus over email.

From The Wall Street Journal

The whistleblower told Congress that the agency’s recruits are never failed on practical exams.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Department for Education said: "It is for exam boards to decide which languages to offer at GCSE," and added that it was introducing a "stepped qualification in languages" within the primary curriculum.

From BBC

With two of her children working towards exams, she said she would have to find a way to manage.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023