examination
Americannoun
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the act of examining; inspection; inquiry; investigation.
- Synonyms:
- observation
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the state of being examined.
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the act or process of testing pupils, candidates, etc., as by questions.
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the test itself; the list of questions asked.
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the answers, statements, etc., made by one examined.
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Law. formal interrogation.
noun
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the act of examining or state of being examined
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education
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written exercises, oral questions, or practical tasks, set to test a candidate's knowledge and skill
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( as modifier )
an examination paper
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med
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physical inspection of a patient or parts of his body, in order to verify health or diagnose disease
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laboratory study of secretory or excretory products, tissue samples, etc, esp in order to diagnose disease
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law the formal interrogation of a person on oath, esp of an accused or a witness
Related Words
Examination, inspection, scrutiny refer to a looking at something. An examination usually means a careful noting of details: A thorough examination of the plumbing revealed a defective pipe. An inspection is a formal and official examination: an inspection of records, a military inspection. Scrutiny implies a critical and minutely detailed examination: The papers seemed to be in good order, but they would not stand close scrutiny. See also investigation.
Other Word Forms
- examinational adjective
- preexamination noun
Etymology
Origin of examination
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English examinacioun, from Middle French, Old French examinacion, examination, “interrogation,” from Latin exāminātiōn- (stem of exāminātiō ). See examine, -ation
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.
He told her his cross examination wasn't personal but he was just doing his job.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
During the examination, the polygrapher asked Hatley if she knew who shot Cynthia.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
He said he wanted to establish an independent commission to carry out a full examination of recruitment, reporting and monitoring procedures.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Meanwhile, Meta spent hours in cross examination trying to convince jurors that Kaley’s struggles were caused by other factors than social media, including a difficult family life and bullying at school.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
He dropped the boot to the floor, removed Booth’s sock, pushed his pant leg up his calf, and began the examination.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
