examine

American  

[ig-zam-in] / ɪgˈzæm ɪn /

verb (used with object)

• examines,
  present (3rd person singular)
• examined,
  past participle,  past
• examining
  present participle

1. 

   to inspect or scrutinize carefully.

   to examine a prospective purchase.

   Synonyms:

   study, explore, probe, search, scrutinize, inspect

2. to observe, test, or investigate (a person's body or any part of it), especially in order to evaluate general health or determine the cause of illness.

3. to inquire into or investigate.

   to examine one's motives.

   Synonyms:

   quiz

4. to test the knowledge, reactions, or qualifications of (a pupil, candidate, etc.), as by questions or assigning tasks.

5. to subject to legal inquisition; put to question in regard to conduct or to knowledge of facts; interrogate.

   to examine a witness;

   to examine a suspect.

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examine British  

/ ɪɡˈzæmɪn /

verb

1. to look at, inspect, or scrutinize carefully or in detail; investigate

2. education to test the knowledge or skill of (a candidate) in (a subject or activity) by written or oral questions or by practical tests

3. law to interrogate (a witness or accused person) formally on oath

4. med to investigate the state of health of (a patient)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• examiner
  noun
• preexaminer
  noun
• subexaminer
  noun
• superexaminer
  noun
• preexamine
  verb (used with object)
• examinable
  adjective
• examinatorial
  adjective
• examining
  adjective
• unexaminable
  adjective
• unexamined
  adjective
• unexamining
  adjective
• well-examined
  adjective
• examiningly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• examining
  present
• examined
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• examine
  simple
• examines
  simple
• have examined
  perfect
• has examined
  perfect
• am examining
  progressive
• are examining
  progressive
• is examining
  progressive
• have been examining
  perfect progressive
• has been examining
  perfect progressive

Past

• examined
  simple
• had examined
  perfect
• was examining
  progressive
• were examining
  progressive
• had been examining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will examine
  simple
• will have examined
  perfect
• will be examining
  progressive
• will have been examining
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of examine

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French examiner, from Latin exāmināre “to weigh, examine, test,” equivalent to exāmin- (stem of exāmen examen ) + -āre, infinitive ending

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Explanation

The verb examine means to study something carefully and in great detail. You can examine a book, a painting, a person’s face and so on. Right now, you are examining the meaning of examine. Examine means to look at something very closely and usually with the purpose of making a judgment. If you go to see a doctor, the doctor will examine you to see if you are healthy. Examine can also mean “question.” When the police examine a witness, they are questioning that witness. Along these same lines, examine can also be used to mean “test.” You might examine, or test, your friend’s knowledge of biology by asking him repeated questions about that subject.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

examine examines examined examining

But it can insist on transparency where legally possible, investigate the history of the allegations and examine whether officials are adhering to the standards that protect prosecutorial independence.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

These two animal models allowed the team to examine whether the same biological mechanism influences muscle health across very different species.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

“He said, ‘Let’s focus on a seemingly idyllic small town, like in “Our Town,” and examine what happened and why.’”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

An assistant might examine more documents, check its answers more thoroughly or complete longer assignments.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

“That is quite a sword, young Jack,” the prince said, leaning back to examine it.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

First, it examines the protein, carbohydrate, and fat content of a person's diet and estimates how much usable energy is absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

I am an associate professor of government at Cornell University, where my research through the Gender and Security Sector Lab examines how police and justice institutions can become more gender-responsive and trauma-informed.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026

If a project could cause significant environmental harm that can’t easily be avoided, it undergoes a more detailed environmental review that examines its potential impacts and alternatives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

It examines how Corless was faced with the silence of church and state as she embarked on a campaign for justice.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

He sets it down on the dirt floor and examines the house.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

The researchers also examined whether German scientists could have avoided the heavy water shortage by using graphite, a form of carbon that can also slow neutrons in nuclear reactors.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

And that "all circumstances" surrounding the incident would be examined.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

As participants examined the pictures, they reported their emotional reactions to each image.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

The team initially examined 20 tidal disruption events using observations collected in visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and radio wavelengths.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

He examined Booth, who lapsed in and out of consciousness.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

The first dismissals were made public amid a statutory public inquiry examining the lead-up to the attacks and decisions and actions taken in the aftermath.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

The Kings note the episode is interested in interrogating the cult of the tech mogul, specifically examining how figures operate outside of traditional ethics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Separately, the BBC has learned that British police are examining whether its own inquiry may lead to an unlawful killing case - potentially a world first in cyber-crime.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

A study examining nearly three decades of medical data found that stroke rates among adults ages 20 to 54 nearly doubled, even as the chances of surviving a stroke improved.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

“Have a bagel,” she said, turning her head from side to side and examining her profile.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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Related Words

• audit
• check
• check out
• consider
• criticize
• delve into
• explore
• inspect
• investigate
• ponder
• pore over
• probe
• read
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• review
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• screen
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• study
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