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Synonyms

examination

American  
[ig-zam-uh-ney-shuhn] / ɪgˌzæm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act of examining; inspection; inquiry; investigation.

    Synonyms:
    observation
  2. the state of being examined.

  3. the act or process of testing pupils, candidates, etc., as by questions.

  4. the test itself; the list of questions asked.

  5. the answers, statements, etc., made by one examined.

  6. Law. formal interrogation.


examination British  
/ ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act of examining or state of being examined

  2. education

    1. written exercises, oral questions, or practical tasks, set to test a candidate's knowledge and skill

    2. ( as modifier )

      an examination paper

  3. med

    1. physical inspection of a patient or parts of his body, in order to verify health or diagnose disease

    2. laboratory study of secretory or excretory products, tissue samples, etc, esp in order to diagnose disease

  4. law the formal interrogation of a person on oath, esp of an accused or a witness

"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

Related Words

Examination, inspection, scrutiny refer to a looking at something. An examination usually means a careful noting of details: A thorough examination of the plumbing revealed a defective pipe. An inspection is a formal and official examination: an inspection of records, a military inspection. Scrutiny implies a critical and minutely detailed examination: The papers seemed to be in good order, but they would not stand close scrutiny. See also investigation.

Other Word Forms

  • examinational adjective
  • preexamination noun

Etymology

Origin of examination

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English examinacioun, from Middle French, Old French examinacion, examination, “interrogation,” from Latin exāminātiōn- (stem of exāminātiō ). See examine, -ation

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.

To understand why that’s necessary may require a fuller examination of the history of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency’s full title.

From Salon

It insisted however that no prescriptions or results of biological examinations had been involved.

From Barron's

On Friday, the coroner said she had requested a post-mortem examination of both men and was awaiting a cause of death.

From BBC

A 2024 examination, for example, discovered that a Nebraska parole board staffer drove a state car 243 miles on her day off to attend a retirement party.

From The Wall Street Journal

Under cross examination, however, Kaley talked about feeling neglected, berated and picked on by family members, causing depression and anxiety that had nothing to do with social media.

From Barron's