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
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
The cheapest flights to Europe in 2025 Average fares between Atlanta and Reykjavík, Iceland run just $800 during the period surveyed — and that’s just the average.
—Nerdwallet, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025
David Nour, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
About 84% of individual investors in the U.S. are interested in sustainable investing, according to a 2024 Morgan Stanley survey.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for survey
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Verb
Of the people surveyed, 10 percent admitted turning to AI tools for relationship advice.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
The cheapest flights to Europe in 2025 Average fares between Atlanta and Reykjavík, Iceland run just $800 during the period surveyed — and that’s just the average.
—Nerdwallet, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
According to a 2024 Deloitte survey, 86% of manufacturers have taken steps to mitigate risks in their supply chains, with 97% reconfiguring their sourcing strategies.
—David Nour, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
About 84% of individual investors in the U.S. are interested in sustainable investing, according to a 2024 Morgan Stanley survey.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for survey
Cite this Entry
“Survey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survey. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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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