- a variation of revue.
review
Americannoun
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a critical article or report, as in a periodical, on a book, play, recital, or the like; critique; evaluation.
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the process of going over a subject again in study or recitation in order to fix it in the memory or summarize the facts.
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an exercise designed or intended for study of this kind.
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a general survey of something, especially in words; a report or account of something.
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an inspection or examination by viewing, especially a formal inspection of any military or naval force, parade, or the like.
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a periodical publication containing articles on current events or affairs, books, art, etc..
a literary review.
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a judicial reexamination, as by a higher court, of the decision or proceedings in a case.
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a second or repeated view of something.
- Synonyms:
- reexamination, reconsideration
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a viewing of the past; contemplation or consideration of past events, circumstances, or facts.
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Bridge. a recapitulation of the bids made by all players.
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Theater. revue.
verb (used with object)
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to go over (lessons, studies, work, etc.) in review.
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to view, look at, or look over again.
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to inspect, especially formally or officially.
to review the troops.
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to survey mentally; take a survey of.
to review the situation.
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to discuss (a book, play, etc.) in a critical review; write a critical report upon.
- Synonyms:
- criticize
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to look back upon; view retrospectively.
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to present a survey of in speech or writing.
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Law. to reexamine judicially.
a decision to review the case.
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Bridge. to repeat and summarize (all bids made by the players).
verb (used without object)
verb
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to look at or examine again
to review a situation
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to look back upon (a period of time, sequence of events, etc); remember
he reviewed his achievements with pride
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to inspect, esp formally or officially
the general reviewed his troops
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to read through or go over in order to correct
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law to re-examine (a decision) judicially
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to write a critical assessment of (a book, film, play, concert, etc), esp as a profession
noun
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Also called: reviewal. the act or an instance of reviewing
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a general survey or report
a review of the political situation
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a critical assessment of a book, film, play, concert, etc, esp one printed in a newspaper or periodical
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a publication containing such articles
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( capital when part of a name )
the Saturday Review
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a second consideration; re-examination
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a retrospective survey
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a formal or official inspection
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Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): revision. the process of rereading a subject or notes on it, esp in preparation for an examination
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law judicial re-examination of a case, esp by a superior court
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a less common spelling of revue
Usage
What is a basic definition of review? A review is judgement or discussion of the quality of something. Review also means to go over a subject again as part of study or to look at something another time. Review has many other senses as both a noun and a verb. A review is a critique of something—a look at something’s good and bad points. Reviews are very common in every industry, and many people rely on them to learn more about something they are interested in, especially something they want to buy. A person who writes a review is a reviewer.
- Real-life examples: You can find reviews of almost anything online, such as movies, books, vacation spots, and schools. Websites like Amazon, Google Maps, and Rotten Tomatoes offer reviews of things. Most companies will even boast about good reviews that they get.
- Used in a sentence: I want to see the new movie because I heard it got good reviews.
- Used in a sentence: Cho began her career by reviewing television shows for her YouTube channel.
- Real-life examples: One of the main reasons teachers assign homework is so students will review the topics they learned that day. College students will often review an entire semester’s worth of notes the night before an important exam.
- Used in a sentence: Diego reviewed the geometry chapters with his tutor to understand the math better.
- Used in a sentence: Prof. Lopez led the review of the properties of the noble gases.
- Real-life examples: Someone putting together furniture will likely review the directions many times before they're done. A chef will review a recipe that they are trying for the first time to make sure they don’t make a mistake. A writer will review their work for errors or grammar mistakes before giving it to an editor.
- Used in a sentence: Lola reviewed her letter to Santa Claus to make sure she included everything she wanted.
Synonym Usage
Review, criticism imply careful examination of something, formulation of a judgment, and statement of the judgment, usually in written form. A review is a survey over a whole subject or division of it, or especially an article making a critical reconsideration and summary of something written: a review of the latest book on Chaucer. A criticism is a judgment, usually in an article, either favorable or unfavorable or both: a criticism of a proposed plan. The words are interchanged when referring to motion pictures or theater, but review implies a somewhat less formal approach than criticism in referring to literary works: movie reviews; play reviews; book reviews.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonreviewabilitynoun
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prereviewnoun
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reviewabilitynoun
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reviewernoun
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rereviewverb
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nonreviewableadjective
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reviewableadjective
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reviewlessadjective
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unreviewableadjective
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unreviewedadjective
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well-reviewedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reviewsimple
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reviewssimple
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have reviewedperfect
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has reviewedperfect
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am reviewingprogressive
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are reviewingprogressive
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is reviewingprogressive
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have been reviewingperfect progressive
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has been reviewingperfect progressive
Past
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reviewedsimple
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had reviewedperfect
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was reviewingprogressive
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were reviewingprogressive
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had been reviewingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of review
First recorded in 1555–65; from Middle French revue, noun use of feminine past participle of revoir “to see again,” ultimately from Latin revidēre, equivalent to re- re- + vidēre “to see”; see view
Explanation
To review means to look back over something for evaluation or memory. "The year in review" is a popular form of news feature near the end of December. If your boss wants to give you a review, she wants to look over the history of your job performance. A doctor might review your medical record to help diagnose your sickness. The review of a book or movie often evaluates the work in question based on its strong and weak points, sometimes ending with a recommendation (or a dismissal). Before a big test, you might want to review ("brush up on") your notes.
Vocabulary lists containing review
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
The Scottish FA's independent review of the disgraceful scenes before, during and after the Old Firm Cup tie at Ibrox in March was thunderously critical of all parties - clubs, governing bodies, police.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Under the law, local agencies are responsible for setting rules, which state regulators review.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Malaysia Airlines, in a statement Friday, said it took the allegations seriously and had launched an internal review.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Representatives from Replimune made the case that the company had been aligned with the FDA on its review, and that a previous internal review panel had recommended the approval of the drug.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
In May 2009, the Supreme Court agreed to review the case.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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They typically include reviews of recently passed laws and instructions to recommend laws for the upcoming session.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
Anthropic, which did not name the firms, urged other AI labs to perform similar reviews to better understand the risks of their models' capabilities.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The reviews study the impact of rocket launches and reentries on surrounding wildlife and their habitats, but industry officials complain they take too long.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
“The reviews generally are not good,” said Robert Tipp, PGIM’s head of global bonds and chief investment strategist.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
She had published a few pieces in small, serious literary magazines early in our marriage, written some book reviews, articles, but nothing, she said harshly, that wasn’t half- embarrassing.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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PS said the lease extension was reviewed and approved by airport officials “during one of the most disruptive periods in the history of commercial aviation.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
That decision by the Court of Appeal will now be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
The Hamilton County prosecutor’s office reviewed the case and did not charge Adongo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Walter’s insurance firms said in recent filings that they had reviewed their transactions after receiving subpoenas and had identified problems with how certain transactions were presented.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
We gave it to Mr. Grant, who reviewed it, looked at my birth certificate, studied my report card, then wrote on the top of the form “7–18.”
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has also been reviewing the allegations, the people and emails reviewed by the Journal said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
An investigating judge is still reviewing a similar request by prosecutors to send Peugeot-Citroen and Fiat Chrysler -- now part of Stellantis -- to trial.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Someone who feels ashamed about money may avoid reviewing accounts, seeking guidance, discussing financial concerns or making a plan. Accountability combined with self-compassion is usually more effective than self-condemnation.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
But moments later, the MLS released a statement saying it was "reviewing a tampering allegation" against the club.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Following a concert, introduce new songs slowly after reviewing the choir’s favorite song from the concert.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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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.