examination

American  

[ig-zam-uh-ney-shuhn] / ɪgˌzæm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of examining; inspection; inquiry; investigation.

   Synonyms:

   observation

2. the state of being examined.

3. the act or process of testing pupils, candidates, etc., as by questions.

4. the test itself; the list of questions asked.

5. the answers, statements, etc., made by one examined.

6. Law. formal interrogation.

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examination British  

/ ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of examining or state of being examined

2. education

   1. written exercises, oral questions, or practical tasks, set to test a candidate's knowledge and skill

   2. ( as modifier )

      an examination paper

3. med

   1. physical inspection of a patient or parts of his body, in order to verify health or diagnose disease

   2. laboratory study of secretory or excretory products, tissue samples, etc, esp in order to diagnose disease

4. law the formal interrogation of a person on oath, esp of an accused or a witness

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Synonym Usage

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

Derived 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

Explanation

The most familiar and unpleasant meaning of examination, known to students around the world, is a test of one's knowledge in a particular area — an exam, in short. The original meaning of examination was considerably more spiritual — a test of one's conscience rather than a test of one's knowledge of algebra or French verbs. Any form of close inspection or analysis is an examination, not just a set of questions on a piece of paper. A doctor will give you an examination of your body if you're sick, and don't, for pity's sake, buy a used car without a careful examination under the hood. Kicking the tires just won't cut it.

Example Sentences

Katie's family are also calling for a reform in the law to ensure that a full forensic examination takes place within 24 hours of all unexplained or potentially suspicious deaths.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

This research represents the first detailed examination of GLP-1 resistance, but scientists still do not know exactly what causes it.

From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026

Judge Emeka Nwite, who presided over the case, said the evidence presented against them was "neither shaken nor contradicted during cross examination".

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that "no one" could determine the aircraft's origin with any authority until a thorough examination was carried out.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

But when he first spoke that name to me, in my final examination to become a Hello Girl, he spoke it in French.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• audit
• checking
• checkup
• cross-examination
• diagnosis
• experiment
• exploration
• inquiry
• inspection
• interrogation
• investigation
• observation
• probe
• questioning
• questionnaire
• raid
• research
• review
• scan
• scrutiny