exam

noun

ex·​am ig-ˈzam How to pronounce exam (audio)
Synonyms of examnext
: examination

Synonyms of exam

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of exam in a Sentence

Your final exam will count for half of the semester's grade. the exam will cover everything we have studied this term
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many families ask me for a letter requesting extra time on exams. — Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2026 Old walls that once separated the exam rooms have been ripped down, leaving a large open space. — Noelle Alviz-Gransee updated November 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026 Most tutoring services in Santa Monica cover core academic subjects including math, reading, writing, and science, with many also offering test prep for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams. — Karen Koehler, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026 Kewman underwent blood work, MRIs, a physical exam, psychological testing, and two PET scans. — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exam

Word History

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of exam was in 1568

Phrases Containing exam

Rhymes for exam

See All Rhymes for exam

Browse Nearby Words

Exaltone
exam
examen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exam. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abandon

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All