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
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!
Unit 18, Lesson 4
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!
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:
Contrast this with China, which in 1977 reinstated a grueling national exam known as the gaokao to select university students.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
They were instructed to retake and pass the exam within 30 days or have their license canceled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
After discussing a number of different options, the exam board sent her a list of pieces to choose from, all specifically written for the left hand.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
He is studying for the the law-school entrance exam so that he can become a test tutor.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
Exhausted, Doha stumbled to the even more crowded exam room.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
“By 2023, it could pass the bar exam. By 2024, it could write working software and explain graduate-level science.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
"That's just for one exam. It can cost us tens of thousands of pounds over the course of our training."
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2025
“This lawsuit is an attempt by the State Bar to shift the blame for its flawed development process for the February exam. We will defend ourselves vigorously in court.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2025
"I'm treating this as a journey. If I can help people get a breast exam, a colonoscopy, or a prostate exam. Go do it because, for me, early detection meant everything," he urged.
From Salon ● Nov. 14, 2024
“Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. 'They’re not throwing me out after that.”
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Heartstopper Forever follows the young male couple as they prepare for a huge relationship test - going long distance as Nick heads off to university and Charlie stays behind to finish his school exams.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
She says the technology could also be adapted to help protect sensitive parts of the body during MRI exams by reducing unwanted heating around medical implants.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
But officials said he appeared in extraordinary shape under the extreme circumstances, pending medical exams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
That hasn’t stopped college students cramming for exams together and couples collaborating on work projects from dishing out their passwords.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Then he started talking to us, the usual stuff about parents’ permission and physical exams and all.
From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
