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survey

Other forms: surveyed; surveying; surveys

The verb survey means to look something over. When you buy your first home, it's a pleasure to stand on the porch and survey your property.

Survey has several meanings, all of which come from Medieval Latin and Anglo words for looking over. As a noun, survey can mean a detailed study of something, but it also means a short summary with a broad view. A survey course gives an overview of a particular subject area, but doesn't make you an expert. Survey is also a verb. If you survey an area hit by an earthquake, you look closely at it to measure the damage.

Definitions of survey
  1. verb
    consider in a comprehensive way
    synonyms: appraise
    see moresee less
    type of:
    analyse, analyze, canvas, canvass, delve, examine, parse, study
    consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
  2. verb
    hold a review (of troops)
    synonyms: go over, review
    see moresee less
    type of:
    inspect
    look over carefully
  3. verb
    look over carefully or inspect
    “He surveyed his new classmates”
    see moresee less
    types:
    overlook
    watch over
    type of:
    examine, see
    observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect
  4. verb
    keep under surveillance
    synonyms: follow, surveil
    follow, pursue
    follow in or as if in pursuit
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    types:
    stalk
    watch, follow, or harass someone in an obsessive way
  5. verb
    plot a map of (land)
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    types:
    triangulate
    survey by triangulation
    type of:
    calculate, cipher, compute, cypher, figure, reckon, work out
    make a mathematical calculation or computation
  6. verb
    make a survey of; for statistical purposes
    see moresee less
    types:
    canvas, canvass, poll
    get the opinions (of people) by asking specific questions
    circularise, circularize
    canvass by distributing letters
    type of:
    analyse, analyze, canvas, canvass, delve, examine, parse, study
    consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
Definitions of survey
  1. noun
    a detailed critical inspection
    synonyms: study
    see moresee less
    types:
    resurvey
    a new survey or study
    type of:
    examination, scrutiny
    the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
  2. noun
    short descriptive summary (of events)
    synonyms: resume, sketch
    see moresee less
    type of:
    sum-up, summary
    a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form
  3. noun
    the act of looking or seeing or observing
    “his survey of the battlefield was limited”
    synonyms: sight, view
    see moresee less
    types:
    eyeful
    a full view; a good look
    type of:
    look, looking, looking at
    the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘survey'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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