perusal
noun
pe·rus·al
pə-ˈrü-zəl 
plural perusals
: the act or an instance of perusing something : a reading or examining of something
a report that deserves careful perusal
She gave the list a quick perusal.
He had returned for less than a minute to his perusal of outdated magazines when Joan came back.—
John Updike
John UpdikeExamples of perusal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But a hockey team that has every player pulling the rope in the same direction can have a lot more success than a quick perusal of the lineup might suggest.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Her repetitions and stammerings and strange inflections were very much her own, as a perusal of her interviews will attest.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2025
In keeping with the demands of processing the new currency, Nielsen isn’t expected to have Sunday’s NFL numbers ready for perusal until Wednesday afternoon.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Most workshops can go on citing examples (and from each other’s writing, too, which is fun to do)―any perusal of course reading lists or an hour spent grazing the literature shelves of a bookstore yields numerous possible stories for discussion.
—Douglas Unger
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perusal
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.
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
Her repetitions and stammerings and strange inflections were very much her own, as a perusal of her interviews will attest.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2025
In keeping with the demands of processing the new currency, Nielsen isn’t expected to have Sunday’s NFL numbers ready for perusal until Wednesday afternoon.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Most workshops can go on citing examples (and from each other’s writing, too, which is fun to do)―any perusal of course reading lists or an hour spent grazing the literature shelves of a bookstore yields numerous possible stories for discussion.
—Douglas Unger
august 29, Literary Hub, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perusal
Cite this Entry
“Perusal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perusal. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share