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.
See Examples For:
By Wednesday, reporting surfaced that Zacharia sat for the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011, but did not pass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Meanwhile, questions about her credentials took center stage, as she identified herself as a lawyer but in fact had never passed the bar exam.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
In another interview Thursday with pro-Trump outlet Real America's Voice, Zacharia said she had registered to take the bar exam but was "distracted and overwhelmed" by plans to move to China with her husband.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
California's bar exam is widely regarded as one of the hardest in the US to pass.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The vet dragged poor Fig out of his safety zone again and plunked him onto the exam table.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
“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
“I have here your final exam. Last semester, I gave you nearly two months to complete your final paper. This time, you get two weeks.”
From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
It included a French literature teacher at the Lycee Blaise-Cendrars in the town of Sevran, who said she was not replaced for six months before key exams during her maternity leave.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
France's 10,000 medical students, however, are beginning to express concern at the effect any continued school blockades could have on exams starting Monday that help determine their eventual speciality.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: The best pet-wellness plans save you money on preventive care such as annual exams and vaccinations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Opponents of ditching testing requirements argued that the exams are a key tool to uniformly predict academic success from students of divergent backgrounds, as well as schools that may issue grades differently.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Not only were they studying as though they had exams every day, but the lessons themselves had become more demanding than ever before.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
