review
Americannoun
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reviews
plural
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a critical article or report, as in a periodical, on a book, play, recital, or the like; critique; evaluation.
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the process of going over a subject again in study or recitation in order to fix it in the memory or summarize the facts.
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an exercise designed or intended for study of this kind.
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a general survey of something, especially in words; a report or account of something.
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an inspection or examination by viewing, especially a formal inspection of any military or naval force, parade, or the like.
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a periodical publication containing articles on current events or affairs, books, art, etc..
a literary review.
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a judicial reexamination, as by a higher court, of the decision or proceedings in a case.
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a second or repeated view of something.
- Synonyms:
- reexamination, reconsideration
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a viewing of the past; contemplation or consideration of past events, circumstances, or facts.
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Bridge. a recapitulation of the bids made by all players.
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Theater. revue.
verb (used with object)
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reviews,
present (3rd person singular)
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reviewed,
past participle, past
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reviewing
present participle
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to go over (lessons, studies, work, etc.) in review.
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to view, look at, or look over again.
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to inspect, especially formally or officially.
to review the troops.
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to survey mentally; take a survey of.
to review the situation.
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to discuss (a book, play, etc.) in a critical review; write a critical report upon.
- Synonyms:
- criticize
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to look back upon; view retrospectively.
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to present a survey of in speech or writing.
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Law. to reexamine judicially.
a decision to review the case.
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Bridge. to repeat and summarize (all bids made by the players).
verb (used without object)
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reviews,
present (3rd person singular)
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reviewed,
past participle, past
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reviewing
present participle
verb
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to look at or examine again
to review a situation
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to look back upon (a period of time, sequence of events, etc); remember
he reviewed his achievements with pride
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to inspect, esp formally or officially
the general reviewed his troops
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to read through or go over in order to correct
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law to re-examine (a decision) judicially
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to write a critical assessment of (a book, film, play, concert, etc), esp as a profession
noun
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Also called: reviewal. the act or an instance of reviewing
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a general survey or report
a review of the political situation
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a critical assessment of a book, film, play, concert, etc, esp one printed in a newspaper or periodical
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a publication containing such articles
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( capital when part of a name )
the Saturday Review
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a second consideration; re-examination
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a retrospective survey
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a formal or official inspection
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Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): revision. the process of rereading a subject or notes on it, esp in preparation for an examination
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law judicial re-examination of a case, esp by a superior court
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a less common spelling of revue
Usage
What is a basic definition of review? A review is judgement or discussion of the quality of something. Review also means to go over a subject again as part of study or to look at something another time. Review has many other senses as both a noun and a verb. A review is a critique of something—a look at something’s good and bad points. Reviews are very common in every industry, and many people rely on them to learn more about something they are interested in, especially something they want to buy. A person who writes a review is a reviewer.
- Real-life examples: You can find reviews of almost anything online, such as movies, books, vacation spots, and schools. Websites like Amazon, Google Maps, and Rotten Tomatoes offer reviews of things. Most companies will even boast about good reviews that they get.
- Used in a sentence: I want to see the new movie because I heard it got good reviews.
- Used in a sentence: Cho began her career by reviewing television shows for her YouTube channel.
- Real-life examples: One of the main reasons teachers assign homework is so students will review the topics they learned that day. College students will often review an entire semester’s worth of notes the night before an important exam.
- Used in a sentence: Diego reviewed the geometry chapters with his tutor to understand the math better.
- Used in a sentence: Prof. Lopez led the review of the properties of the noble gases.
- Real-life examples: Someone putting together furniture will likely review the directions many times before they're done. A chef will review a recipe that they are trying for the first time to make sure they don’t make a mistake. A writer will review their work for errors or grammar mistakes before giving it to an editor.
- Used in a sentence: Lola reviewed her letter to Santa Claus to make sure she included everything she wanted.
Synonym Usage
Review, criticism imply careful examination of something, formulation of a judgment, and statement of the judgment, usually in written form. A review is a survey over a whole subject or division of it, or especially an article making a critical reconsideration and summary of something written: a review of the latest book on Chaucer. A criticism is a judgment, usually in an article, either favorable or unfavorable or both: a criticism of a proposed plan. The words are interchanged when referring to motion pictures or theater, but review implies a somewhat less formal approach than criticism in referring to literary works: movie reviews; play reviews; book reviews.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonreviewabilitynoun
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prereviewnoun
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reviewabilitynoun
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reviewernoun
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rereviewverb
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nonreviewableadjective
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reviewableadjective
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reviewlessadjective
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unreviewableadjective
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unreviewedadjective
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well-reviewedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reviewsimple
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reviewssimple
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have reviewedperfect
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has reviewedperfect
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am reviewingprogressive
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are reviewingprogressive
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is reviewingprogressive
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have been reviewingperfect progressive
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has been reviewingperfect progressive
Past
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reviewedsimple
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had reviewedperfect
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was reviewingprogressive
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were reviewingprogressive
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had been reviewingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of review
First recorded in 1555–65; from Middle French revue, noun use of feminine past participle of revoir “to see again,” ultimately from Latin revidēre, equivalent to re- re- + vidēre “to see”; see view
Explanation
To review means to look back over something for evaluation or memory. "The year in review" is a popular form of news feature near the end of December. If your boss wants to give you a review, she wants to look over the history of your job performance. A doctor might review your medical record to help diagnose your sickness. The review of a book or movie often evaluates the work in question based on its strong and weak points, sometimes ending with a recommendation (or a dismissal). Before a big test, you might want to review ("brush up on") your notes.
Vocabulary lists containing review
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
A two-paragraph order denied the VA’s request to have the entire 9th Circuit review a three-judge panel’s rejection of its appeal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
She also said she wanted to review plans for 16 other areas, including 14 announced by Reed days before Burnham replaced Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister and reappointed her to her old role.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Then bring AI back in to review and polish what you have put together, and check over the final version yourself one last time before hitting submit.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
When the Department of Energy wants to finance a large project under the current permitting system, it has to slog through comprehensive environmental review.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
They agreed that Blaine should meet the president again in the morning in order to review final details that might need attention during Garfield's absence.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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The 1998 fantasy romcom, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as witchy sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, received mixed reviews from critics when it was first released.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“And then it reviews your output for typos, mistakes and better ways to frame your experience.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
If you are an Apple fan who’s ready to take a leap into the unknown, you might not even wait for iPhone Duo reviews before placing a preorder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The film premiered Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival to a lengthy standing ovation and strong reviews.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
With her fame and her rave reviews and her new production company, she thought she no longer had to care what other people thought of her.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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“Bartholow was scared and her heart was pounding,” investigators wrote in the report for the state council that was reviewed by The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The rules take effect in January and are reviewed annually.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
This catches parents off guard more often than you might expect — especially those who completed beneficiary forms early in their careers and haven’t reviewed them since.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
We talked several times over a few weeks and I reviewed documents, including photographs and emails that weren’t in the Justice Department files.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
As I reviewed various records at the National Archives as well as information from other sources, I began to piece together a clearer portrait of Burt.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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Chief Executive Bob Wright is also reviewing the company’s trials of artificial intelligence in drive-throughs to determine whether it is serving customers and restaurant operators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
“We are reviewing with our legal counsel and will respond in a way that stays true to our mission and values,” foundation spokesman Daniel Herrera wrote in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
One test when reviewing a story is whether someone in Racine would understand it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
By BritBox decree, I am forbidden from reviewing it for now.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Each of the parading squadrons was graded as it marched past the reviewing stand, where a bloated colonel with a big fat mustache sat with the other officers.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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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.