survey
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to take a general or comprehensive view of or appraise, as a situation, area of study, etc.
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to view in detail, especially to inspect, examine, or appraise formally or officially in order to ascertain condition, value, etc.
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to conduct a survey of or among.
to survey TV viewers.
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to determine the exact form, boundaries, position, extent, etc., of (a tract of land, section of a country, etc.) by linear and angular measurements and the application of the principles of geometry and trigonometry.
verb (used without object)
noun
plural
surveys-
an act or instance of surveying or of taking a comprehensive view of something.
The course is a survey of Italian painting.
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a formal or official examination of the particulars of something, made in order to ascertain condition, character, etc.
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a statement or description embodying the result of this.
They presented their survey to the board of directors.
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a sampling, or partial collection, of facts, figures, or opinions taken and used to approximate or indicate what a complete collection and analysis might reveal.
The survey showed the percentage of the population that planned to vote.
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the act of determining the exact form, boundaries, position, etc., as of a tract of land or section of a country, by linear measurements, angular measurements, etc.
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the plan or description resulting from such an operation.
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an agency for making determinations.
U.S. Geological Survey.
abbreviation
verb
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(tr) to view or consider in a comprehensive or general way
to survey the situation
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(tr) to examine carefully, as or as if to appraise value
to survey oneself in a mirror
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to plot a detailed map of (an area of land) by measuring or calculating distances and height
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to inspect a building to determine its condition and value
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to examine a vessel thoroughly in order to determine its seaworthiness
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(tr) to run a statistical survey on (incomes, opinions, etc)
noun
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a comprehensive or general view
a survey of English literature
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a critical, detailed, and formal inspection
a survey of the nation's hospitals
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an inspection of a building to determine its condition and value
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a report incorporating the results of such an inspection
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a body of surveyors
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an area surveyed
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statistics a random sample
Other Word Forms
- presurvey noun
- self-survey noun
- self-surveyed adjective
- surveyable adjective
- unsurveyable adjective
- unsurveyed adjective
Etymology
Origin of survey
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English surveien (verb), from Anglo-French surveier, Middle French surv(e)ier, surveoir “to oversee,” from sur- sur- 1 + v(e)ier “to see” (from Latin vidēre; video ( def. ), vision ( def. ) )
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.
Future surveys using magnetic and gravimetric techniques could detect circular underground structures that mark a buried or eroded crater.
From Science Daily
In a survey of 407 truck drivers by the Port of Los Angeles in 2021, two out of three said they were immigrants, and three-quarters of the respondents identified as Hispanic or Latino.
CEOs cited disruptions tied to AI and new technology as the biggest risk to their own industries in a new Conference Board survey — more than high tariffs, regulations or political uncertainty.
From MarketWatch
A separate survey from the Pew Research Center showed many people were more concerned than excited about AI.
Even so, the result beat the median forecast for a 26% increase in a Wall Street Journal survey of nine economists.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
