public-opinion poll

[ puhb-lik-uh-pin-yuhn ]

noun

1. a poll taken by sampling a cross section of the public in an effort to predict election results or to estimate public attitudes on issues.

Word History and Origins

Origin of public-opinion poll¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

A public-opinion poll of the Sunday Pictorial soon showed 64% of its readers in favor of the marriage.

From Time

More recently, a public opinion poll sponsored by the left-leaning Daily Kos Web site gave the GOP even further cause for concern.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• application
• census
• sampling
• survey