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
Synonyms
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 WebEric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected that treatment to bring in $435 million in revenue.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Economists had been expecting payrolls to rise by 100,000 for the month, according to a survey from Dow Jones.
—Michele Luhn, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for survey 
Verb
In a concerning sign for the vice president, 74% of those surveyed in the state reported feeling that the country has been on the wrong track, while 57% either somewhat or strongly disapproved of Joe Biden's job as president.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected that treatment to bring in $435 million in revenue.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
In 2019, a survey of 2,000 adults commissioned by ChannelMum.com, found that 40 percent of respondents considered their mom to be their favorite parent, while around one in seven preferred their dad.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Economists had been expecting payrolls to rise by 100,000 for the month, according to a survey from Dow Jones.
—Michele Luhn, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for survey
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.
Dictionary Entries Near survey
Cite this Entry
“Survey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survey. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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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