surveyor

American  

[ser-vey-er] / sərˈveɪ ər /

noun

1. a person whose occupation is surveying.

2. an overseer or supervisor.

3. Chiefly British. a person who inspects something officially for the purpose of ascertaining condition, value, etc.

4. (formerly) a U.S. customs official responsible for ascertaining the quantity and value of imported merchandise.

5. (initial capital letter) one of a series of space probes (1966–68) that analyzed lunar soil and obtained other scientific information after soft-landing on the moon.

---

surveyor British  

/ sɜːˈveɪə /

noun

1. a person whose occupation is to survey land or buildings See also quantity surveyor

2. a person concerned with the official inspection of something for purposes of measurement and valuation

3. a person who carries out surveys, esp of ships ( marine surveyor ) to determine seaworthiness, etc

4. a customs official

5. archaic a supervisor

---

Other Word Forms

• surveyorship noun

Etymology

Origin of surveyor

1375–1425; late Middle English surveio ( u ) r < Anglo-French surveiour; Middle French surve ( i ) our, equivalent to surve ( i )- ( survey ) + -our -or ²

Explanation

A surveyor is someone who estimates or measures the dimensions of land. Surveyors help make maps, and are important when planning new buildings. To survey is to measure the dimensions of land, including acreage and altitude. A surveyor is an engineer who measures such dimensions as a profession. The government needs surveyors to map the boundaries of zones and districts. When constructing new buildings, surveyors help determine how much land is being built on, what size the building should be, and how the altitude might influence the process. If you like math, planning, and building, you might enjoy being a surveyor.

Example Sentences

It narrates the bittersweet adventures of the titular astronomer and his surveyor sidekick who carved the boundary separating slave states from free.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Apart from the Walden adventure, Thoreau appeared as a public speaker and worked as a surveyor and in his father’s very successful pencil factory, for which he created some important innovations.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Ibrahim, 52, is a former surveyor in Somaliland's capital Hargeisa, who quit his job in 2015 to try his luck.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

One morning, we sat with Dunkin’ Donuts coffees and Penguin Classics editions of “The Scarlet Letter” on the steps of the Salem Custom House, where Nathaniel Hawthorne lived as the surveyor of Salem.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

Although he didn’t know it then, George’s adventures as a surveyor would prepare him for the rugged times to come in war.

From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen

Related Words

• assessor
• cartographer