EXAMINATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does examination mean? 

• EXAMINATION (noun)
  The noun EXAMINATION has 5 senses:

1. the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)

2. a set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge

3. formal systematic questioning

4. a detailed inspection of your conscience (as done daily by Jesuits)

5. the act of giving students or candidates a test (as by questions) to determine what they know or have learned

  Familiarity information: EXAMINATION used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXAMINATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

examination; scrutiny

Hypernyms ("examination" is a kind of...):

investigating; investigation (the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "examination"):

gonioscopy (an examination of the front part of the eye to check the angle where the iris meets the cornea; it is used to distinguish between open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma)

audit (a methodical examination or review of a condition or situation)

bank examination (an examination of the affairs and records of a bank by a state or federal bank examiner)

inspection; review (a formal or official examination)

motion study; time-and-motion study; time-motion study; time and motion study; time study; work study (an analysis of a specific job in an effort to find the most efficient method in terms of time and effort)

testing (an examination of the characteristics of something)

study; survey (a detailed critical inspection)

search (boarding and inspecting a ship on the high seas)

scan (the act of scanning; systematic examination of a prescribed region)

rhinoscopy (examination of the nasal passages (either through the anterior nares or with a rhinoscope through the nasopharynx))

keratoscopy (examination of the cornea with a keratoscope to detect irregularities in its anterior surface)

endoscopy (visual examination of the interior of a hollow body organ by use of an endoscope)

palpation; tactual exploration (a method of examination in which the examiner feels the size or shape or firmness or location of something (of body parts when the examiner is a health professional))

ophthalmoscopy (examination of the interior of an eye using an ophthalmoscope)

look-over; once-over (a swift cursory examination or inspection)

going-over (a careful and thorough inspection)

follow-up; followup; reexamination; review (a subsequent examination of a patient for the purpose of monitoring earlier treatment)

fine-tooth comb; fine-toothed comb (a method of examining in minute detail)

comparing; comparison (the act of examining resemblances)

checkup; health check; medical; medical checkup; medical exam; medical examination (a thorough physical examination; includes a variety of tests depending on the age and sex and health of the person)

autopsy; necropsy; PM; post-mortem; post-mortem examination; postmortem; postmortem examination (an examination and dissection of a dead body to determine cause of death or the changes produced by disease)

Derivation:

examine (observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

exam; examination; test

Context example:

when the test was stolen the professor had to make a new set of questions

Hypernyms ("examination" is a kind of...):

communicating; communication (the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "examination"):

tripos (final honors degree examinations at Cambridge University)

exam paper; examination paper; question sheet; test paper (a written examination)

quiz (an examination consisting of a few short questions)

prelim; preliminary exam; preliminary examination (an examination taken by graduate students to determine their fitness to continue)

oral; oral exam; oral examination; viva; viva voce (an examination conducted by spoken communication)

midterm; midterm exam; midterm examination (an examination administered in the middle of an academic term)

litmus test (a test that relies on a single indicator)

final; final exam; final examination (an examination administered at the end of an academic term)

entrance exam; entrance examination (examination to determine a candidate's preparation for a course of studies)

comp; comprehensive; comprehensive examination (an intensive examination testing a student's proficiency in some special field of knowledge)

bar exam; bar examination (an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction)

Derivation:

examine (question closely)

examine (question or examine thoroughly and closely)

examine (put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Formal systematic questioning

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

examination; interrogation; interrogatory

Hypernyms ("examination" is a kind of...):

inquiring; questioning (a request for information)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "examination"):

deposition ((law) a pretrial interrogation of a witness; usually conducted in a lawyer's office)

inquisition (a severe interrogation (often violating the rights or privacy of individuals))

third degree (interrogation often accompanied by torture to extort information or a confession)

cross-examination ((law) close questioning of a hostile witness in a court of law to discredit or throw a new light on the testimony already provided in direct examination)

direct examination ((law) the initial questioning of a witness by the party that called the witness)

redirect examination; reexamination ((law) questioning of a witness by the party that called the witness after that witness has been subject to cross-examination)

interview (the questioning of a person (or a conversation in which information is elicited); often conducted by journalists)

debriefing (report of a mission or task)

catechism (a series of question put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views)

Derivation:

examine (question closely)

examine (question or examine thoroughly and closely)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A detailed inspection of your conscience (as done daily by Jesuits)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

examen; examination

Hypernyms ("examination" is a kind of...):

introspection; self-contemplation; self-examination (the contemplation of your own thoughts and desires and conduct)

Derivation:

examine (consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning)

examine (put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The act of giving students or candidates a test (as by questions) to determine what they know or have learned

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

examination; testing

Hypernyms ("examination" is a kind of...):

investigating; investigation (the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "examination"):

11-plus; eleven-plus ((formerly in Britain) an examination taken by 11 and 12 year old students to select suitable candidates for grammar school)

Derivation:

examine (question closely)

examine (question or examine thoroughly and closely)

examine (put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental use to)

 Context examples 

I cannot allow the examination to be held if one of the papers has been tampered with.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Removal of tissue from the duodenum for microscopic examination, using an endoscope.

(Biopsy of Duodenum, NCI Thesaurus)

Removal of tissue from the heart for microscopic examination.

(Biopsy of Heart, NCI Thesaurus)

Removal of tissue from the colon for microscopic examination, using an endoscope.

(Biopsy of Colon, NCI Thesaurus)

Removal of tissue from the breast for microscopic examination.

(Biopsy of Breast, NCI Thesaurus)

Removal of tissue from the bile duct for microscopic examination.

(Biopsy of Bile Duct, NCI Thesaurus)

Removal of tissue from the bladder for microscopic examination.

(Biopsy of Bladder, NCI Thesaurus)

Removal of bone tissue for microscopic examination.

(Biopsy of Bone, NCI Thesaurus)

Removal of brain tissue for microscopic examination.

(Biopsy of Brain, NCI Thesaurus)

Example methods include: weighing, use of a mass spectrometer, use of an ion sensitive electrode, and examination using a microscope.

(Method, LOINC Axis 6, NCI Thesaurus)