examine

verb

ex·​am·​ine ig-ˈza-mən 

examined; examining ig-ˈza-mə-niŋ 

-ˈzam-niŋ

transitive verb

1

a

: to inspect closely

b

: to test the condition of

c

: to inquire into carefully : investigate

2

a

: to interrogate closely

examine a prisoner

b

: to test by questioning in order to determine progress, fitness, or knowledge

intransitive verb

: to make or give an examination

examinable

ig-ˈza-mə-nə-bəl 

adjective

examiner

ig-ˈza-mə-nər 

-ˈzam-nər

noun

Synonyms

• catechize
• grill
• interrogate
• pump
• query
• question
• quiz
• sweat [slang]

Choose the Right Synonym for examine

scrutinize, scan, inspect, examine mean to look at or over.

scrutinize stresses close attention to minute detail.

scrutinized the hospital bill

scan implies a surveying from point to point often suggesting a cursory overall observation.

scanned the wine list

inspect implies scrutinizing for errors or defects.

inspected my credentials

examine suggests a scrutiny in order to determine the nature, condition, or quality of a thing.

examined the specimens

Examples of examine in a Sentence

An accountant has been hired to examine the company's books.

The police examined the evidence carefully.

You should have your eyes examined.

He was examined by several doctors, who found nothing wrong with him.

Recent Examples on the Web

While the review was initiated to examine the leadership structure of the county’s Office of Education, the agency’s investigators quickly pivoted to the education board after hearing numerous complaints from staff, said Mike Fine, CEO of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team. —Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024

All students are required to take fine arts and humanities courses as part of their undergraduate core curriculum, with the goal of promoting critical thinking and helping students examine problems through multiple lenses. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 14 Nov. 2024

The aim, according to its course description, is to use her work as a lens through which to examine Black intellectual thought and activism. —Angela Yang, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024

Another study in an academic journal called Medical Problems of Performing Artists that examined the deaths of 13,195 popular musicians from an array of genres also concluded that their life expectancy was lower than for the population at large. —Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French examiner, from Latin examinare, from examen

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing examine

• re-examine

Kids Definition

examine

verb

ex·​am·​ine ig-ˈzam-ən 

examined; examining

1

: to look at or check carefully

examine a company's books

have your eyes examined

2

: to question closely

examine a witness

examiner noun

Medical Definition

examine

verb

ex·​am·​ine ig-ˈzam-ən 

examined; examining -(ə-)niŋ 

transitive verb

: to inspect or test for evidence of disease or abnormality

the doctor examined the young men and found them in perfect health

intransitive verb

: to make or give an examination

the doctor will examine at the infirmary

Legal Definition

examine

transitive verb

ex·​am·​ine

examined; examining

1

: to investigate or inspect closely

examine the title

compare audit

2

: to question closely especially in a court proceeding compare depose