exam
noun
an examination, as in school.
exam
1 American
[ig-zam]
/ ɪgˈzæm /
noun
Informal.
exams
plural
exam.
2
American
abbreviation
-
examination.
-
examined.
-
examinee.
-
examiner.
exam
British
/ ɪɡˈzæm /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Specialists from around the world wrote and reviewed the questions included in Humanity's Last Exam.
From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026
Despite the dramatic name, Humanity's Last Exam is not meant to suggest that humans are becoming obsolete.
From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026
Exam results day can be tough for everyone - but especially if you're neurodivergent.
From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025
Exam results spiked in 2020 and 2021 when exams were cancelled and grades were based on teachers' assessments.
From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025
I had taken all the tests that counted—the SAT and the Florida Placement Exam in order to determine state college eligibility.
From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos
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.
