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.
On May 26, Trump had his third “annual” exam in 13 months at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, after which he posted, “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.”
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
“You really try to make the settlement agreements really tight in the sense that they only apply to the issues that were under exam, and you clearly say what they don’t apply to,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
A 2017 report by Kenya's National Crime Research Centre blamed exam stress and long school terms and said students in different schools were communicating via smuggled phones, leading to copycat acts.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Dodgers utility man Kiké Hernández returned to the injured list after manager Dave Roberts revealed before Wednesday’s game that an MRI exam revealed a “significant tear” in Hernández’s left oblique.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
The exam that determines everything is tomorrow—same day Arthur leaves.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
