exam
noun
an examination, as in school.
exam
1 American
[ig-zam]
/ ɪgˈzæm /
noun
Informal.
exam.
2
American
abbreviation
-
examination.
-
examined.
-
examinee.
-
examiner.
exam
British
/ ɪɡˈzæm /
noun
Etymology
Origin of exam
First recorded in 1875–80; short form
Explanation
An exam is a test. Many high school and college classes have a midterm exam and a final exam. The word exam is short for examination, from 19th century student slang. An exam usually takes place in a class and consists of questions that test a student's knowledge. Sometimes the word describes a medical test of some kind, like an eye exam, a dental exam, or a physical exam. Rather than testing knowledge or skill, these exams are procedures meant to diagnose or rule out illnesses.
Vocabulary lists containing exam
Education and Academics, List 2
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Unit 18, Lesson 4
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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.
Mr. Trump’s physician released a three-page summary of his latest exam results, with extensive lab and neurological test details, and pronounced the President in “excellent” health.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
It caused a slight dilemma for Lee during the exam.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Some mothers and fathers clustered outside the exam halls dressed in red, a symbol of good fortune in Chinese culture.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
Those women instead undergo a breast imaging procedure every six months and a physical exam.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
What if instead of coming in 201st in the telephone operator exam I had come in 202nd?
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
