- present participle of survey.
noun
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the study or practice of measuring altitudes, angles, and distances on the land surface so that they can be accurately plotted on a map
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the setting out on the ground of the positions of proposed construction or engineering works
Etymology
Origin of surveying
1425–75; late Middle English: act of examining closely; see survey, -ing 1
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.
Surveying his own time, Fiedler concludes that this gothic literary mode still captures most fully what he describes as “an era of universal war, alienation from nature, failed revolutions, genocide, and ideological self-deception.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Surveying the damage in the area, the governor's spokesperson wrote on Facebook that the "atmosphere in the community remains tense, with grief and fear evident".
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
Surveying the data, he adds, one could be forgiven for assuming central bankers were targeting 3% inflation not 2%.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 5, 2025
Surveying 5,000 brands found that over 16% generated over 30% of their annual orders that single week, while almost 10% generated half or more of their annual orders.
From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025
Surveying the skies, I didn’t see any sign of the Sixers, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t already arrived.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
