survey

1 of 2

verb

sur·​vey sər-ˈvā How to pronounce survey (audio)
ˈsər-ˌvā
surveyed; surveying

transitive verb

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 wayAlan Harrington

intransitive verb

: to make a survey

survey

2 of 2

noun

sur·​vey ˈsər-ˌvā How to pronounce survey (audio)
sər-ˈvā
plural surveys
1
: the act or an instance of surveying: such as
a
: a broad treatment of a subject
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
Verb
Its diluted earnings per share came to $3.86, well above Wall Street expectations of $3.43, according to a consensus estimate from analysts surveyed by FactSet. Bruce Gil, Quartz, 21 Mar. 2024 The vice president's trip is also taking place as recent CBS News polling from late February shows President Biden's support among Hispanics has dropped by 12 points since 2020, from 65% to 53%, representing the steepest drop in his share among demographic groups surveyed. Nidia Cavazos, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2024 Everytown did not survey Lucky Gunner since the organization backed the extensive litigation over the issue. Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Half of the CTOs surveyed said keeping up with evolving domestic legislation and regulations is a top challenge to the tax function. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Three-quarters of 1,200 workers with various visas who were surveyed last fall by the Hong Kong Top Talent Services Association planned to enroll their children in Hong Kong schools. Joy Dong, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Gen Zs and millennials are leading the way in experimenting with AI tools: 18% of those generational cohorts have used generative AI to create images, and 25% surveyed have used it to create text, per Deloitte‘s report. Todd Spangler, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 By June 2020, for example, a majority of parents surveyed by Gallup wanted to see their children return to full-time, in-person learning. The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024 National Weather Service crews were onsite surveying the damage Friday, and their results will determine the strength of the storm, which likely produced at least one tornado. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024
Noun
Stripping out certain items, earnings were $2.55 per share, which is still short of the per-share earnings of $2.67 expected on Wall Street, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research. Michelle Chapman, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 The survey also revealed that teen use of delta-8 was more common in states where the psychoactive compound was not regulated. Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Those who complete the survey have the option to enter a drawing for one of 11 gift cards to a Fayetteville restaurant. Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 13 Mar. 2024 The survey is an ongoing nationally representative assessment of adolescents’ behavior and attitudes about a variety of topics. Jen Christensen, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior survey, for instance, found that more than 1 in 3 gay, lesbian and bisexual students were bullied either on school property or online in the previous year. John D. Harden, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 This tracks with the AASM survey, which found that 77% of sleep tracker users said the device was helpful, and 68% changed their behavior after using it. Kristen Fischer, Health, 12 Mar. 2024 In the United States, 30 percent of adults, and over half of adults under 30, use dating apps, according to a survey by Pew Research Center that was released last year. J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The storm currently hitting the Sierra will be factored into the April snow survey. Sara Tonks, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'survey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French surveer, to look over, from sur- + veer to see — more at view

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of survey was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near survey

Cite this Entry

“Survey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survey. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

survey

1 of 2 verb
sur·​vey sər-ˈvā How to pronounce survey (audio)
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 How to pronounce survey (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on survey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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