surveyed; surveying
1
a
: to examine as to condition, situation, or value : appraise
b
: to query (someone) in order to collect data for the analysis of some aspect of a group or area
2
: to determine and delineate the form, extent, and position of (such as a tract of land) by taking linear and angular measurements and by applying the principles of geometry and trigonometry
3
: to view or consider comprehensively
4
: inspect, scrutinize
… he surveyed us in a lordly way …—
Alan Harrington
Alan Harrington
: to make a survey
plural surveys
1
2
: something that is surveyed
Examples of survey in a Sentence
Verb
A total of 250 city residents were surveyed about the project.
64 percent of the people surveyed said that the economy was doing well.
The teacher surveyed the room.
People were surveying the damage after the storm.
Engineers surveyed the property to see what could be built on it.
Noun
The survey found some surprising tendencies among the population.
We conducted an opinion survey on the issue and found that most people agree.
a survey on American drinking habits
Surveys of each department were conducted earlier this year.
A survey of recent corporate layoffs reveals a new trend in business management.
A new land survey changed the borders of their property.
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
From the host stand, where there’s also a complimentary coat-check, diners can survey the bar and open kitchen.
—Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026
The Athletic, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Most American adults now agree that the platforms should require age verification, according to a survey taken in October.
—Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for survey
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 215,000 new benefit applications.
—Matt Ott, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
From the host stand, where there’s also a complimentary coat-check, diners can survey the bar and open kitchen.
—Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
Readers using our app on an Android device may need to use two fingers to scroll through the survey.
—The Athletic, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Most American adults now agree that the platforms should require age verification, according to a survey taken in October.
—Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for survey
Cite this Entry
“Survey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survey. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
survey
1 of 2 verb
sur·vey
sər-ˈvā 
ˈsər-ˌvā
surveyed; surveying
1
: to look over and examine closely
2
: to find out the size, shape, and position of (as an area of land)
3
: to gather information from or about
4
: to make a survey
survey
2 of 2 noun
sur·vey
ˈsər-ˌvā
sər-ˈvā
plural surveys
: the act or an instance of surveying or of applying the principles and methods of surveying
also
: something that is surveyed
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