examination
Americannoun
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examinations
plural
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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
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing examination
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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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:
Both he and his film could share the same subtitle he used for his first short: “A glimpse into the penetrating insightful examination of the delusions of a bottom-dwelling dreamer.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
He added: "We would welcome a genuinely independent examination of the historic events and the questions that remain unanswered, and we would cooperate fully with any inquiry established by the government."
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
The pope announced to the public in St Peter's Square last Sunday, following the Angelus prayer, that a routine medical examination had revealed a nodule that doctors recommended should be removed.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
It had been collected in 2011 by Dr. Zac Loughman and students from West Liberty University, making the discovery possible through the examination of existing museum specimens.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
“Your examination of Mr. Darcy is over, I presume,” said Miss Bingley; “and pray what is the result?”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
The findings also relied on symptoms reported by participants rather than standardized clinical examinations.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Mohn, a longtime underwriter of the museum’s flagship Made in L.A. biennial, said Ryan is extending the program’s impact by returning to participating artists for broader examinations of their work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The internet is laden with Reddit arguments and academic examinations questioning Steinbeck’s portrait of her beastliness.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Investigations are continuing to establish the full circumstances, motives, and any links related to the incident, as well as to complete technical examinations and analysis of physical and digital evidence,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Steel yourself, my mother used to say, before examinations I didn’t want to take or swims in cold water.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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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.
