perusal

[puh-roo-zuh l]

See more synonyms for perusal on Thesaurus.com

noun

a reading: a perusal of the current books.
the act of perusing; survey; scrutiny: A more careful perusal yields this conclusion.

Origin of perusal

First recorded in 1590–1600; peruse + -al²

Related formspre·pe·rus·al, adjectivere·pe·rus·al, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for perusal

inspection, survey, examination, research

Examples from the Web for perusal

Contemporary Examples of perusal

But a perusal of the code shows employees ignored protections already in place.
Murdoch's Judgment Day
July 20, 2011

Historical Examples of perusal

I will send you these letters for your perusal in a few days.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
Yet we confess that the perusal of these volumes has disappointed us.
The Works of Whittier, Volume VI (of VII)
John Greenleaf Whittier
Shall I give you something I have written and put by for your perusal, or shall I hold my hand?'
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
He must have been thinking of that perusal ever since he had been in prison.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
I have enclosed you a piece of rhyming ware for your perusal.
The Letters of Robert Burns
Robert Burns

Word Origin and History for perusal

n.

c.1600, from peruse + -al (2).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper