surveyor

American  

[ser-vay-er] / sərˈveɪ ər /

noun

• surveyors
  plural

1. a person whose occupation is surveying.

2. an overseer or supervisor.

3. Chiefly British. a person who inspects something officially for the purpose of ascertaining condition, value, etc.

4. (formerly) a U.S. customs official responsible for ascertaining the quantity and value of imported merchandise.

5. (initial capital letter) one of a series of space probes (1966–68) that analyzed lunar soil and obtained other scientific information after soft-landing on the moon.

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surveyor British  

/ sɜːˈveɪə /

noun

1. a person whose occupation is to survey land or buildings See also quantity surveyor

2. a person concerned with the official inspection of something for purposes of measurement and valuation

3. a person who carries out surveys, esp of ships ( marine surveyor ) to determine seaworthiness, etc

4. a customs official

5. archaic a supervisor

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• surveyorship
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• surveyors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of surveyor

1375–1425; late Middle English surveio ( u ) r < Anglo-French surveiour; Middle French surve ( i ) our, equivalent to surve ( i )- ( see survey) + -our -or ²

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Explanation

A surveyor is someone who estimates or measures the dimensions of land. Surveyors help make maps, and are important when planning new buildings. To survey is to measure the dimensions of land, including acreage and altitude. A surveyor is an engineer who measures such dimensions as a profession. The government needs surveyors to map the boundaries of zones and districts. When constructing new buildings, surveyors help determine how much land is being built on, what size the building should be, and how the altitude might influence the process. If you like math, planning, and building, you might enjoy being a surveyor.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

surveyor surveyors

Over the next three months, Roman will deploy its antenna, adjust its course, and power on its two instruments: JPL’s planet hunter and a night-sky surveyor called the Wide Field Instrument.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

In essence, that could mean AI is less like a self-checkout machine, which automates away the need for cashiers, and more like a laser level that helps a surveyor make accurate measurements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

"Before, we used to pass on the left; now the passage is to the right of the sandbank, and it's very, very narrow," said Daniela Cuoghi, a surveyor for Aipo.

From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026

Patricia said the surveyor, recommended by the caller, visited her home and reported the insulation was "rock solid" and had prevented proper ventilation of the rafters, creating a risk of rot and potential roof collapse.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

He’d been to Trinity College in Dublin, and he was a surveyor.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

“Quality repairs aren’t just about immediate survival — they’re about passing the long-term scrutiny of adjusters, surveyors, and insurers,” the company says.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

In 2024, Michigan moved to conducting its surveys via the web, rather than via cellphone—a response to the ongoing problem surveyors face in reaching people by phone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

As Manchester recounted, “The artist’s eye was uncanny; next morning a team of surveyors found he had been less than six inches off the axis.”

From Salon ● May 7, 2026

California’s snowpack is supposed to reach its peak April 1, so today, state surveyors hold their final Sierra snow survey of the year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026

George Washington was one of many surveyors whose work enabled them to increase their own landholdings.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

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Related Words

• assessor
• cartographer

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